Lazy Life on Repeat
by Zanmat0
Summary: An ongoing collection revolving around P5's Akira and Makoto.
1. Contented

**Because Valentine's Day is too far away.**

 **Word on the grapevine is that our P5 guy's manga name is Akira Kurusu.**

* * *

"The usual?"

"Thanks."

Akira nodded, turning from the counter and setting to work. Makoto sat on one of the barstools, resting an elbow on the counter and glancing around the cafe. It was remarkably empty for the time of day, but she supposed that it was because the place wasn't exactly suited to being an ideal hangout. The only other guests she saw, and rarely at that, were the rest of the thieves and some friends of the owner. "Here you go."

She accepted the steaming cup and saucer, smiling at the pattern of a small bike on the surface of the coffee. Akira shot her a knowing smile over his shoulder before turning back and collecting the utensils he used. Makoto nursed the cup and watched him work, falling into sort of trance after a moment. Evidently, Akira had been managing by the cafe for a good while now, if the way he was utterly lacking in hesitation was any indication. It made for a nice break than seeing him doze off in class or gallivanting around in costume. For now, he was just Akira.

That was nice enough.

Her train of thought was cheerily derailed by said Akira setting another plate down in front of her. This one held a cookie. She raised an eyebrow and smiled, finally taking a sip of the coffee. "You're spoiling me."

"I would never. It's on the house."

"Aren't you trying to make a profit rather than lose it?"

"Eh." He nodded towards the still-relatively-empty cafe, leaning casually on the counter. He might have looked cool if not for the apron. "The baked goods'll go to waste if we don't sell or eat them. Personally, I'd go with the latter."

He topped off his observation with a wink before turning again and checking the register. It was oddly sort of endearing when he...turned on the charm. Or tried to; points for effort. It was at this point that Makoto knew he had nothing better to do other than clean up or chat with her. She might have wanted the latter, but she had coffee and a free cookie to focus on now.

Akira snuck a glance over and saw that she had accepted the treat, smiling to himself and shutting the register. Minutes passed comfortably as the two went about their business. Slowly, Makoto pushed the now empty cup and plate towards him and stood, checking her school bag to make sure she wasn't leaving anything behind. Akira took the dishes with one hand, absently scratching the back of his head with the other. "...Want something for the road?"

"I wouldn't want to take advantage of your generosity. I'll see you tomorrow, Akira-kun."

"Uh-huh. See you at school, then."

Just before he could turn to drop off the dishes, she ducked in to grab his arm, letting her lips brush against his cheek. She smiled at the flash of shock on his face that he tried to mask with a wave goodbye. Adjusting the strap of her bag, she turned to the door and waved over her shoulder.

* * *

 **Short, yes. Simple, yes. Then again, that's basically what I do most of the time. This was simply based off a piece of fanart a friend pointed me to, so I suppose I couldn't really get a ton of mileage of it. I'll probably end up adding little bits and pieces when the mood takes me.**

 **Hope you enjoyed. Till next time.**


	2. The Amazon Chaser

"You know…"

"Uh-oh."

"You're really strong."

Makoto paused, glancing at Akira over the rim of her cup before carefully putting it down with a sigh. "If you need someone to move furniture…"

"No, no. Just...making an observation."

She raised an eyebrow at the dopey smile on his face but chose not to comment. That is...until he opened his mouth again. "You don't even work out, but you can probably throw me across the room."

"You have very strange ways of complimenting people."

"I'm serious! We've all seen how you just punch everything when we're...I dunno, gallivanting?"

"...Sorry, is this the part where I swoon?"

"What was that thing you said the other day? I mean, you were really hyped up over that fight, but...can't remember."

"Akira-kun…"

"Yeah, yeah, I remember now!'

"Don't you say it-"

"'Fist of JUSTICE'!"

 **Two minutes later.**

"...You didn't have to hit me…"

"I think I did."

Makoto carefully rubbed her knuckles as Akira nursed the fresh bump on his head. "I hope you think about what you say next time."

"Yes, ma'am."

He sighed ruefully and smiled, shutting his book and tossing out his coffee cup. "But I guess that's just another thing I love about you."

Makoto blushed lightly. "You're blushing. Did I get ya?"

"No."

"Lying is bad."

"I'm not!"

"Aw, see, now you're at two."

Akira stood and planted a palm on the table to balance himself as he leaned over to take Makoto's chin between his fingers. "Wanna go for three? Third time's a charm and all that."

"Akira, people are watching."

"Yeah? I'm not doing anything scandalous, just chatting with my cute girlfriend."

"I'm the student council president! And you're still on the school's watch list!"

"Yeah. Know what that means?"

"...That everyone's watching you?"

"Mhm. Everyone's watching me."

Whatever retort Makoto had died in her throat when Akira leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. The surrounding mall-goers let out a collective chorus of assorted "aww"'s, much to Akira's amusement and Makoto's subsequent horror. He held her there for a moment, just long enough to throw away her reservations and enjoy the kiss. Contented, Akira sat back in his chair and grinned at the flustered and flushed Makoto. What he mistook for trembling was actually her shaking in begrudging anger. "See, you won that battle, but I won the war-"

 _WHACK_

* * *

 **College...has begun anew. As such, I haven't had as much time as I would like to sit down and commit a large amount of time to writing. I'll still try to do what I can though. The next chapter of ITF is about halfway done, so that'll be ready when it's ready. Other than that, I'll try and fill the gap with shorter bits, but my mileage may vary there.**

 **Anyway. Hope this was a nice little read. Till next time.**


	3. Well Worth the Effort

**Little Valentine's bit. I've written two for Souji/Naoto now, so I was thinkin' it would either be this or Metal Gear this year. Hope you don't mind.**

* * *

"This is for me?"

"You don't have to act so surprised."

Makoto waited until Akira took the small box from her hand before clasping them behind her back. She resisted the urge to bite her lip, unwilling to back down after having come this far. No, today she would stand proud in the face of the lion that sat before her, eying the cute little box in his hand and carefully toying with the ribbon wrapped around it.

...Maybe she was exaggerating a bit.

The lion was actually her nerdy, messy-haired boyfriend, and, while he was far from a wuss, he didn't exactly give off a threatening aura. But that was something Makoto appreciated. It made it easier to just sit down and relax with him after a long day. "Cute designs."

"Thanks."

...Akira was acting a bit different today. Did he not like the designs? Or maybe he actually hated Valentine's Day? What if it was both? The awkward silence was beginning to bother her, and suddenly Makoto felt even more worried that her chocolate would not be up to par in Akira's eyes. She gulped and adjusted her school bag, turning to leave with a muttered excuse of something to do with her student council duties.

"Wai- Hey! Where are you going?"

With a chuckle still in his tone, Akira quickly set the box down and took her hand, tugging it gently when she initially refused to turn around. When she did, however, she noticed that he had taken off his glasses and set them aside. "Would you mind sitting with me?"

Akira gave a crooked little smile and patted the spot on the bench next to him. Makoto took a careful look around the courtyard. People were taking notice at their little...whatever this was. She wasn't really mad at him, so one couldn't call it a lover's spat. She blushed when she thought that...perhaps it looked that way. Her sight caught onto what looked like Sakura peeking over at them from one of the ramen shops. Makoto felt a small flash of embarrassment when it looked like she was also holding a camera and grinning cheekily. "..See, that's just unfair."

Contrary to what almost sounded like a rejection, Makoto huffed and sat down right next to Akira; not on the end of the bench, or even the usual few inches of distance she kept between them. No, instead she sat right next to him. It was only Akira's expertise with keeping his emotions in check that kept him from blushing.

...Hmm. Maybe he should stop keeping her in suspense.

Akira didn't comment when Makoto rested her head on his shoulder, plucking one of the chocolates out of the box and biting into it. Makoto kept her breathing even, almost certain that she could hear his chewing until he made a happy little noise and murmured. "...It's great."

To further drive his point, Akira bit into another piece and offered the box to her, shaking it gently as encouragement. Makoto hesitated for a second before picking up one of the little card-shaped ones and eating it. The two shared the box until there was nothing left, with Akira making sure that Makoto got the last piece. He draped his arm around her shoulders and sighed softly, content and feeling rather giddy in regards to what just transpired.

Then his phone rang.

He hissed lightly in distaste and fished his phone out of his pocket, quickly skimming over the email he received from Sojiro. "...I have to go to work, sorry. Swing by the cafe when you have the time, I'll make it up to you."

Akira stood and smiled gently, tucking some of Makoto's hair behind her ear. He punctuated his goodbye with one last kiss on her forehead and headed off, waving lazily over his shoulder as he went. Makoto watched him go briefly before letting a small smile make its way onto her face, glowing warmly inside at the inherent promise in his words. She took a deep breath and grinned at nothing in particular, glancing over to the ramen shop and being reminded of one last thing she needed to do.

 **Five minutes later...**

"Delete it!"

"No!"

" _Delete_ it!"

"Nnnnnno!"

"Futaba-chan!"

Futaba responded to the honorific by taking the time to stick her tongue out defiantly. "Are you kidding?! This is gold! Imagine if those lovestruck girls around the school saw this! They'd be after both of you and it'd be hilarious!"

"What?!"

"Not to mention another great moment to film!"

"You are not allowed to profit off of these videos!"

"Make me!"

* * *

 **I cannot** _ **wait**_ **to be almost completely wrong about the characters' personalities. Really! If I am, then that means I'll have even more to work with!**


	4. Anticipation

**I AM IN CLASS AND P5 IS WAITING FOR ME.**

 **Truly, my predicament is a one worthy of pity.**

* * *

Akira was being particularly weird today. And that was saying something.

It had been a slow business day at the cafe, something he normally welcomed. Conversely, as Makoto observed, it only seemed to make him more anxious. It was when he had started polishing the silverware that she knew something was up. "Someone's fidgety today."

"Huh? Oh. Yeah, um...just waiting for something."

"This 'something' must be pretty important if it's making you this antsy."

Akira chuckled at that, placing a spoon back into its place and picking up a knife. He twirled it between his fingers, a habit he picked up throughout their shenanigans and heists, tossing it up and catching it before getting to work polishing it. Makoto noted that he never indulged his habit when actual customers were present. Her train of thought was rather entertainingly derailed when Akira's sight darted to the door of the cafe. "Were you even given a estimate for when your 'something' arrives?"

"Today. By eight. Which we both know is a lie."

Makoto had to give him that one.

Akira glanced towards the door again when he heard the sound of a car stopping nearby. Makoto simply watched him stare from her seat, taking a sip of coffee as he twitched, clearly anxious for some reason. The faintest of knocks echoed through Akira's ears, but it was enough to bring a grin to his face. "Ohh, it's here. Makoto, it's here!"

"What's here?"

"The-the-the thing! The thing I've been _waiting_ for!"

He threw the door open just as the delivery truck pulled away, speeding down the street to deliver another package to another hopeful customer. He grabbed the box off the floor and hopped back inside. Makoto couldn't help but giggle a bit when Akira, very delicately, placed the box on the counter of the bar, flipping the sign hanging on the front door to 'Closed" and quickly shutting it. "Aren't I a customer?"

"It's on the house. And no, you're my girlfriend."

Akira planted a kiss on her forehead, the icing on the cake, seizing the package and heading to his room. Before he disappeared into the hall, however, he poked his head out and grinned. "Take your time. You're welcome to follow later."

Then he was gone. Makoto sighed, looking into the steam of her tea and blinking at the steam. What was he in such a rush for? "Futaba, it's here!"

"I know! I heard you squealing about it already!"

Makoto hopped out of her seat and carefully placed her cup in the sink, quietly following Akira to his room. She paused at his door when she heard him mutter to no one in particular, "Why do you have to install?"

Makoto let herself into his room as Akira groaned and shouted at the wall. "Futaba! Why does this have to install?!"

"Why are you asking me?! And you know why!"

He groaned again and flopped onto his back, staring at the ceiling and sighing wistfully. "You're awfully dramatic."

Akira looked up at Makoto, still leaning against the door, taking off his glasses and dropping them near the TV. "Hey. Done already?"

"Well, I had to see what the all the fuss was about."

"Well, make yourself at home. Has to install."

Makoto sat on his bed and plucked the case of the new game from the box, idly scanning the back as Akira shouted at the wall again. "Futaba! Can't you make this install faster?"

"Do I look like a super hacker to you?"

"No, you look like a master hacker! C'mon, help me out here!"

"Compliments and buttering me up aren't gonna get you anywhere!"

"Futaba!"

"Akira!"

"Both of you!"

Futaba fell silent and Akira looked up at Makoto, who was gazing down at him with a raised eyebrow and a begrudging smile. "Calm down. It'll be done when it's done."

"Oh, right. Can you cover for me? I'm probably gonna take a few days of from school-"

"No."

* * *

 **Well, here ya go. I don't need to take notes, I need to play P5! Like, soon! Preferably!**

 **Aaaanyway, I hope you enjoyed! Good day!**


	5. Roundabout

**So, fair warning, this sorta delves into spoilers. Kind of. It's more of a funny background event than anything, but it does have context in the story.**

 **That being said, Makoto following Akira around is some silly, funny shenanigans.**

* * *

Akira strolled out of Untouchable, his wallet slightly fatter from the bits and pieces of treasure he had borrowed from Palaces. He adjusted his school bag, wandering out onto the street when he caught someone wearing a similar uniform. Morgana popped out, cocking his head quizzically as Akira looked at the book covering her face. "...Isn't that the student council president?"

"Yep."

"Is she following us?"

"Uh-huh."

"...Are you gonna mess with her again?"

Akira lowered his head and smiled, reaching up to scratch the cat's ears. "Maybe a little."

Morgana ducked back into the bag as Akira headed into the street, purposefully wandering to every establishment he usually frequented and checking to see if Niijima was following him. Predictably, she was, sneaking looks at him from behind the cover of whatever she was reading. Akira guessed it was a sort of manga. He toured the central street of Shibuya for a while, walking into stores and sometimes buying something that looked particularly useful. _What is he doing…?_

Makoto watched Akira step into an alley, quickly following him while keeping the book firmly in front of her face. _He must be going to the scene of the crime…!_

She swept into the alleyway, only to find that it was both a dead end and that Akira was nowhere to be found. "What the-"

"Niijima-senpai."

Makoto yelped and dropped the book, jumping away from Akira. Somehow, he had appeared behind her, wearing an amused smile before shifting to a more neutral expression. "Isn't it a bit dangerous to be running around and reading at the same time?"

"I, er...well, yes, but-"

Akira ducked down to pluck the book of the floor, and Makoto swore she saw bright blue eyes peeking at her from inside his bag. Yet another question that probably wouldn't be answered today. He gave the pages the briefest of scans before handing it back to her, a finger lodged in the page she had been stuck on for the past twenty minutes. He smiled softly, mirth gleaming in his eyes as he murmured, "Wouldn't want you to lose your page."

He bowed his head politely, walking past the stunned girl and towards the exit of the alley. "Also…"

Makoto turned to look at him again, the book just barely clutched in her hand as he shrugged and said, "That's an interesting choice of story you've got there. Not that I'm one to judge."

For a second, Akira grinned, eyes twinkling merrily that he had gotten away with it once again. "Everyone have secrets, after all."

He turned his back to her again and walked out of the alley, waving lazily over his shoulder as Makoto watched him go. After a moment, she sighed, idly looking at the cover of her book. Akira heard the squeak of shock echo throughout the alleyway, snickering to himself as Morgana purred happily in his bag. He got the feeling that wouldn't get old any time soon.


	6. Reassurance

**Spoilers.**

 **I might write about parts of the social link later. At rank 5 now (level 5 charm...really?), so that's kinda sitting there now. Oh well, that's why we have NG+.**

 **For now, enjoy.**

* * *

"Um...C-can I hold your hand?"

Akira nodded; Makoto made to latch onto his arm but hesitated when he took his hand out of his pocket and offered it to her. It was surprising enough that he had bothered to even remove his hand from said pocket, but it seemed that this was a perk of their newfound...relationship. "Ah...w-well, you don't have to-"

A crack of thunder outside quickly silenced her, leading her to swerve around Akira's shoulder and lock their arms. Akira made to comment before she reached down and grasped his hand, willingly lacing their fingers together for added security. He smiled at her instead, an expression she returned uneasily before trying to guide him to the door. They made it a few precious steps before another creak echoed out and Makoto dropped to her knees in fear, still holding Akira's hand. He squeezed it reassuringly, leaning down to speak softly. "Makoto? C'mon, we're almost at the door."

"N-no...my legs won't move."

Akira winced as two screams burst into his eardrums, his brief moment of distraction preventing him from catching a good look at who the second suspect was. As for the first...he looked down, stifling a laugh at how Makoto had latched onto his leg out of desperation. "Uh...Makoto?"

"I'msorryI'msorryI'msorry, pleasesaveme-"

Akira chuckled nervously and scratched his head. _What is she apologizing for…?_

"Makoto, it's okay. Futaba's…" He glanced at the doorway the mystery girl ducked into, cocking his head slightly as he muttered, "...gone, I guess."

"I'msorryI'msorrypleasesavemeSisAkiraplease…"

...Did he hear that right? Akira adjusted his glasses to hide the light blush on his cheeks. Knowing he ranked on her figurative emergency contacts was actually pretty flattering. "I'm right here, you're okay. Give me your hand."

Makoto looked up at him, struggling a bit to see his face in the darkness. Nonetheless, she still fumbled blindly for his hand until he took it and helped her to her feet. "See? You've got this-"

"Are you okay, Futaba?!"

Ryuji jumped in surprise. "Crap, he's home!"

He, along with Ann and Yusuke dove into cover, pressing themselves against the wall as Sojiro burst in. Makoto felt Akira's fingers tighten the slightest bit around her own as the older man shouted, reaching for a flashlight, "Who the hell are you?! Don't move!"

Akira opened his mouth to speak, but decided against it. Makoto looked just about ready to freak out…

"You hear me?!"

Akira squinted slightly as a flash burst in his eyes, bathing both him and Makoto in a bright, unyielding light. A momentary silence fell over the group until Sojiro stammered, "Y-...you? What are you doing in my house…?"

 _...Why is he talking like I'm the only one here…?_

He quickly scanned around; Ryuji, Ann, and Yusuke were still hiding, but Makoto...She had managed to sneak around his shoulder, effectively hiding herself from Sojiro's view. _...Oh._

May as well roll with it. He waved. "Hi there, Boss."

Sojiro raised an eyebrow, about to speak when he looked past Akira's shoulder. "You're..."

"Ah…"

Makoto peeked around Akira's shoulder, stepping into view to manage as polite a bow as she could. "Um, g-good evening, sir. We, er...didn't mean to intrude…"

Her voice lowered in volume the more she spoke, so she settled for bowing her head to hide the blush on her cheeks. "Niijima-san...Wait, are you two dating?"

She stood at attention as soon as she heard 'dating', about to fervently shake her head when Akira said, "Yeah."

"Huh. Is that true?"

Upon realizing the question was directed at her, Makoto pointedly looked away, uncertain of how to answer until Akira took her hand again, his thumb brushing comfortingly against her skin. Finally, she settled for a small, "Yes."

Sojiro stared at the two of them for a good ten seconds, nodding and offering a small smile. "Figured as much."

* * *

 **It would seem this is pretty much turning into a progress report of where I am with bits of my personality sprinkled in. Is that bad…?**

 **Hope not. Also hope you liked.**


	7. Session

**NOT spoilers. Unless you think Makoto joining the party is a spoiler...**

 **And as a side note in this author's note (bwah), thanks for the reviews. I'm glad some of us are/were in the same boat with the whole charm thing, hehe.**

 **Now, as far as I can tell, the story established that they change costumes in the Metaverse, and if the owner of the Palace deems them as a threat. For fluff's sake, let's ignore that, just...shh.**

* * *

"I'm starting to think this is some weird plan to flirt with me."

"Hey, I never said that wasn't a possibility. This spot should do."

Joker clicked his heel against the ground and turned to Queen, spreading his arms apart at the open space he had managed to locate. "Time to train. You and me."

"Huh?"

Joker nodded to himself, gesturing at nothing in particular as he declared, "Now, we should start with your strengths."

"You imply that I have weaknesses."

Joker smirked, nodding but taking the comment in stride. "Don't we all? Also, in case you need motivation, I'm raising the stakes a bit."

"Huh?"

Joker smiled mysteriously, disappearing in a flash that was a testament to how skilled he had become at vanishing from sight. Queen looked around quizzically, a chill running up her spine as she felt something slip past her. She whirled around, eyes darting about to try and catch a glimpse of Joker. Suddenly, he reappeared, wrapping an arm around her waist from behind and kissing her cheek. "If I land a hit, you owe me one of those."

Queen shuddered at how low his voice was, batting his hands away and hopping back into a stance. "Of course, it goes both ways. I'm looking forward to losing."

Joker smiled and raised his hands in mock surrender before reaching into his pocket and pulling out...a stick. Rather, a toy baton. Queen cocked her head in confusion as he tossed it in the air, idly juggling it in his hands as he explained. "Well, I'm not gonna pull a knife on you, if that's what you're wondering."

"Ah."

"Mhm. Now, whenever you're ready."

Queen nodded, shaking her arms to get the lead out and muttering, "Alright then…"

Queen shot forward, quickly jabbing forward with a fist. The blow was neatly evaded by Joker swerving to the side, an amused smile present on his face as she quickly transitioned into her next move. She kicked once, using the momentum to swing her other leg at his head. Joker ducked under the second hit, tapping her back with the baton and stepping back. Rather than turn, Queen drew her hands back, rushing at Joker shoulder-first. The tackle threw him off-balance, but he was able to recover just in time as Queen lunged for him.

Her attacks grew faster as she settled into a groove, forcing Joker onto the defensive and making it harder to dodge until he was forced to raise his hand and block a particularly powerful kick. He winced in pain, but chuckled, happy that she was able to catch him on the back foot. "Heheh. Now that was pretty good."

He quickly rewarded her with a stolen kiss, thrusting his hand upward to throw Queen off balance. She was able to respond in kind with a neat twirl into a neutral stance. She quietly touched her lower lip, still mildly stunned by the bold move. It was then decided that she would get him back for that. "Johanna!"

"Wait, what?"

Joker crouched defensively, watching in surprise as Queen charged her Persona with magical power. _...Huh._

"Persona."

Joker quickly changed masks, raising an arm to protect himself as Queen's Freila crashed into him and exploded in a burst of blue. As the dust cleared, Joker whistled softly, shaking the smoke off his hand and grinning, still relatively unharmed. "Aggressive….Seems you're getting into it."

Queen snapped out of her trance, looking down at Johanna and sheepishly dismissing the Persona. "Sorry."

"Nah, it's fine."

"Are you ready to continue?"

"Mm. Come at me."

Joker twirled the baton in his hand and grinned, adrenaline still rushing through him from taking Johanna's spell. Queen ducked forward, feinting a punch but actually moving for a swift uppercut. Joker skirted around her fist, playfully tripping her with a quick swipe of his leg. She yelped in surprise, falling back against his chest as he caught her with his arms under hers. He smirked down at her as she met his eyes with an embarrassed blush. "...You missed."

"That's cheating," She whined.

"Okay, okay. I won't use my ninja moves again."

"...I can see you crossing your fingers."

"Maybe I am."

Queen groaned in frustration, then suddenly smiled as a plan popped into her head. She quickly planted her feet on the ground, seizing Joker's shoulders and heaving him over her. He landed hard on his back, surprised and thoroughly winded by the sudden throw. Despite this, he still managed a cheeky grin as he crossed his arms behind his head and chirped, "Now that's what I'm talking about. You really can throw me across the room!"

"I threw you less than a foot in front of me."

"Still impressed."

Queen smiled, circling around him and sitting on his chest to stop him from rising. Aside from a light 'oof', Joker simply returned the expression, barely resisting as she playfully pinned his hands to the floor. "I counted three clean hits."

"Oh, really."

"As opposed to your two."

"Hey, did you really want me to keep poking you with a stick? There were so many opportunities to, so I just - mm-"

Makoto shook her head at his rambling, keeping his hands pinned as she leaned down to kiss him. She briefly pulled away to breathlessly whisper, "That's one."

Akira ignored her tease, reaching up to thread his fingers in her hair and pull her down for another kiss. He took his time as opposed to the more aggressive girl, keeping her still with one hand on her head and the other resting on her hip. After a few more seconds of indulgence, Akira broke the kiss, smiling quietly and brushing some hair out of Makoto's eyes. "Make that one for both of us."

Makoto beamed, eagerly following his cue as they locked lips again.


	8. Immersion

**Spoilers for the Priestess Confidant.**

 **This one goes out to PokeKid 25 for reminding me of this GOLD.**

 **From what I read, Arcade Kid's Confidant doesn't start till September, so...I'm twisting the timeline a bit. All for the sake of humor, trust me.**

* * *

"You just...point the gun at the screen, right?"

"Well, usually there are targets, but yeah. That's the gist of it."

Akira grinned, gently patting Makoto's shoulder as he walked to the console. The wire tying the toy pistol to the machine made it nigh impossible to twirl it like he usually did, so he settled for dangling it on his finger by the trigger before flicking it back into a proper grip. "Have you played this before?"

"Oh, I'm an expert."

Something in Akira's mind twitched, recalling memories of that...monster with the red cap, grinning and laughing cruelly as he completely decimated Akira's score. He was snapped out of his reverie by Makoto waving a hand in front of his face, a look of mild concern with a hint of confusion written into her features. He blinked a few times before realizing that he was still holding the gun and staring at the scoreboard. He pushed the humiliation of defeat to the back of his mind choosing instead to shake the clouds out of his head. "Right. Anyway...want to try?"

"I-If it's okay with you...Do you think you could teach me?"

Akira smiled, pulling the second gun out its 'holster' and offering it to her. "Sure. It's not that hard to pick up, especially for someone as sharp as you."

Makoto blushed lightly at the compliment, taking the gun from his hand and trying now to dwell on how their fingers brushed against each other. She quickly glanced at the way Akira was standing and mimicked the movement. "Ready?"

The game started much faster than she figured it would, a blast of pixelated sound bursting from the speakers fixed on the side of the machine. Akira simply lifted his pistol when something was in sight, firing as calmly as he did in the Metaverse. Makoto assumed this was a good way to sharpen one's aiming skills anyhow. "Makoto, they're coming your way."

Upon noticing this, Makoto squeezed the trigger, the screen displaying a blast of color to signal her shot hitting home. The admittedly easy accomplishment was enough to lift her spirits."I did it!"

"That you did. On your right."

"Huh?!"

Makoto flinched when a monster lurched into view, quickly dispatching it with a rapid volley of shots. Akira nodded in approval, levelling his pistol at the screen and firing with more controlled bursts. His score quickly caught up with Makoto's, but he purposefully held back from overtaking her to keep her focus on the game. He didn't have to try very hard either way; just like in the Metaverse, she was a quick learner. "You're out of bullets."

"No way!"

Makoto fumbled with the gun, quickly scanning the control scheme painted below the screen to assure herself that she knew how to reload. By the time she aimed the gun back at the screen, however, her avatar was already in trouble. Apparently, she thought that meant her real self was in danger too...because she screamed. "Ahhh!"

Akira bit back a laugh, quickly aiming his pistol at the enemy threatening to attack Makoto. He quickly memorized the placement of the approaching enemies before turning his head and firing mechanically, subtly scanning the arcade as he did so. His suspicions were confirmed rather easily; Makoto's...spirited style of play was attracting some attention.

The two finished their game rather quickly, if only because Makoto's cries were making Akira a bit anxious. He _may_ have taken a few more hits than necessary to end the game faster…

Makoto seemed to be glowing happily from the experience, though exactly why was something Akira would probably never find out. She smiled at him when she noticed he was watching for a reaction or commentary. "Oh, so this is how it is."

Akira stared at her dully, quietly noting that her behavior was a stark contrast to the frantic squeaks and shouts from less than two minutes ago. Choosing to put that behind him, he simply smiled and nodded. "Yeah, you're a...a real gamer."

All in all, Akira thought the whole ordeal was rather cute. Those few minutes had easily put to rest any lingering doubts that the rumors around Shujin were true; that Makoto was akin to a robot and all that nonsense. As if there was ever any doubt, anyway. "I wonder if I could apply some of the techniques I learned here during battle."

"...I'm sure you'll be fine either way."

"Hmm...I'm starting to understand how people pass the time. It's quite interesting; I never would have thought about coming here before."

 _Although that may be because…_

She snuck a look at Akira before quickly averting her gaze. "Anyway, er...do you think you could help me out again later? I might be able to give the team more ideas if I gained increased knowledge outside my studies."

Akira raised an eyebrow and smiled. "You sure it's not because you had fun? Maybe want to come here again?"

Makoto managed to take the dig in stride, nodding after a moment. "Well, I won't say I didn't have fun. I'm not sure I would want to come here without you, though…"

Akira watched her freeze where she stood, quickly glancing at him uneasily before she crossed her arms and stammered, "I-I mean, I still need your help to learn how to play! You saw clearly enough that I needed a helping hand every now and then."

He nodded silently, letting her own words sink in as she recalled the moment he passed her the gun. Makoto quickly quashed the thought, staring steadfastly at the floor as she muttered, "Never mind. It may not be immediately, but I'm sure I can be of use."

"You're plenty useful already. Morgana's jealous. Mostly because of the whole motorcycle thing."

Makoto relaxed, letting out a light laugh. "Thank you. By the way, you went to the red-light district in when you were chasing after Kaneshiro, right?"

"Yeah. Heh, Ryuji got jumped."

"I'd like to go there as well."

Akira blinked, his thoughts skidding to a stop as he started at Makoto. She quickly realized that her wording was rather poor. "N-no! Not for my own purposes."

"Uh-huh."

Makoto shot him a glare that bore no real malice before elaborating. "Truthfully, I've received reports that a student from Shujin was spotted there…"

Akira noted that as a return to form. He simply listened to her speak, falling into a trance of sorts as she detailed why she wanted to investigate. It took her a minute to notice that he was sort of gazing dreamily at her. "...What?"

Hmm...Maybe...

The thought made Akira smile softly. "Nothing, really. Ready to go home?"

* * *

 **I just hit rank 4 Charm...Ohh, I'm so close to the finish line now.**

 **Hope you enjoyed.**


	9. Publicity

**Spoilers for late October, particularly after the Festival.**

 **Rank 5 charm, rank 10 Priestess...life is good right about now.**

 **I figured the post-festival party was the perfect way to celebrate. I'm just gonna put the idea forward that this is nigh-impossible in the story given how it could unfold later.**

 **On another note, I finally got the All-Out Attack quote where Makoto says "Fist of Justice". Haha, I was worried they took it out of the game or something.**

* * *

"...Are we really no match for him?"

Akira shook his head and smiled, clasping her hand and letting go in a small act of reassurance. He would have held it for longer, but there were too many students around. "Don't worry, Makoto."

Makoto smiled in both affection and mild exasperation. "Does anything ever break your confidence?"

"Not yet."

She nodded and leaned her back against the wall, subtly standing close enough to let their shoulders touch. _"And now, it's time for your favorite Shujin tradition - the Student Sharing Special!"_

Makoto couldn't help but scoff at the word 'favorite'. "This event is never very popular."

"Two strikeouts, huh?"

Makoto laughed softly and nodded. "Honestly, yes. The older teachers seem to enjoy it, though."

"For some reason."

"You're two for two, Akira-kun."

 _"Alright, does anyone have something to say? Anyone, anyone?!"_

Makoto put a hand to her chin in silent thought as Akira watched the MC gesture energetically and motion to the audience. _"No? I'll just have to pick someone, then!"_

"Someone's eager."

"Indeed. Choosing from the crowd...the MC this year is actually somewhat capable."

"...I suppose there's no chance we can run, right?"

"What do you mean?"

 _"Oooh, is that our lovely student council president over there?!"_

Akira frowned, gesturing at the stage with his left hand and tapping the toe of his shoe against the floor in one of his many tics. "That, uh...is what I meant."

Makoto paled, glancing between Akira and the stage a few times as she squeaked out a, "Huh?!"

 _"Come on up here, Miss Prez!"_

She looked down before raising her gaze to Akira pleadingly. "...Do I have to go?"

Akira smiled softly, nodding after a beat and adjusting his glasses. "I'll never forget you."

She groaned, pushing his shoulder as he chuckled. "I'm pretty sure that's not how you use that phrase."

Before she turned to go on the stage, Akira took off his glasses and called her again. "Makoto."

The president turned, eyes clearly unhappy with the current situation but showing a bit of hope at the sound of his voice. He smiled reassuringly and winked in a way that only she would be able to see. "I'll be in the front row. I told you not to worry, right?"

Makoto seemed cheered slightly by the statement, quietly bowing her head for a brief moment before making her way to the stage amidst rousing cheers. She stood, rather hesitantly, at the microphone as the MC belted out, _"Here she is: everyone's favorite student council president, Makoto Niijima-san!"_

Makoto fumbled with her hands, leaning slightly towards the mic and mumbling, "Hello…"

She snuck a quick scan of the front row, breathing a sigh of relief as she saw Akira in the front row, sitting in the seat closest where she was standing. He smiled, cocking his head towards the MC as he said, _"Now then, on with the show! What would you like to share with us today, Miss President?"_

"Er…"

 _"...Miss President?"_

"I...don't really have anything to say. Sorry…"

The MC deflated slightly, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. Unfortunately for Makoto, he was the kind to bounce back quickly. _"Here, I'll give you a question! Do you think the Phantom Thieves are really Shujin students?"_

Akira narrowed his eyes slightly even as Makoto recoiled, unable to hold back a surprised, "What!?"

 _"We're all dying to know what Akechi-kun was going to say about their true identities. Some people theorize that they go to our very school…"_

Akira couldn't help but scoff at the attempt to garner intrigue in the audience. He had already mentioned the whole Shujin deal… " _So, are they from Shujin? What do you think, Miss President?"_

"What do I think…?"

It was then that Akira decided that a bail-out was in order. So, he stood, slipped his hands into his pockets and shouted, "I've always loved you!"

He grinned cheekily as Makoto squeaked out a high-pitched, "What?!"

The MC took the outburst in stride, pointing enthusiastically at Akira and chattering away. _"Now this is drama! A boy caught in the throes of bittersweet youth! A stunning confession of love!"_

Akira remained standing as Makoto blushed furiously, finding nothing easier to do than simply stand and stare wide-eyed at her boyfriend. The audience was already eating up the show, whoops and cheers melding together into a respectable cacophony. Makoto looked up and groaned as Akira watched her amidst the MC asking, _"Sooo, Miss President! What's your relation to this guy?"_

"R-relation?!"

Makoto's hand shot to her mouth, one knee crossing slightly over the other as her blush deepened, hesitantly looking Akira in the eye before quickly averting her sight. _"My, she's red as a beet! A rare glimpse into the girly side of our stunning Miss President!"_

"He's…"

Akira's ear picked up Makoto's mumbles, but the MC was going on again before she could muster the will to continue. _"Bu~t I'm a gentleman! It hurts my heart to bully such a sweet girl!"_

"No, um...well…"

The MC's hype train paused for a moment as Makoto spoke up, looking at Akira steadfastly as she held the mic and spoke. "Er...he is my b-boyfriend. That is our, um...'relation'."

 _"Ohoho! Now that is some news!"_

Akira looked genuinely surprised for a second, but the happiest smile crossed his face as her words sank in. Makoto smiled softly as a roar echoed throughout the auditorium, stepping back from the mic and rushing off the stage. She seized Akira's arm and pulled him as quickly as she could out of the place. Akira, still stunned from her confession, simply went along with it, counting on her to guide him. The excited shouts and cries of the students followed them until they managed to escape to a secluded location.

"Roof's illegal, Miss President."

"You are the _last_ person I want to hear this from!"

Akira chuckled as Makoto practically threw him into one of the spare folding chairs, pulling up one of her own close to his and sitting down with a small huff. "I made a fool of myself…"

"I wouldn't say that."

Makoto gave him a dull look. "The post-festival party has never felt that long before. I must admit I'm impressed you were able to say what you did before."

Akira smiled warmly, putting an arm around Makoto's shoulder to urge her to lean on his shoulder. She complied, relaxing as she let out a breath. "I should be saying that about you. That was...incredible."

"I don't know, I was...quite flustered."

"You could have lied."

"Mm, that would've left a bad taste in my mouth. Besides, I had to pay you back somehow. You're quite reliable in a pinch."

"Oh, am I?"

Makoto smiled and closed her eyes, taking one of Akira's hands and lacing their fingers together. "You are. Sis always said that if I get married, my husband should be someone dependable like that."

Akira looked up at the sky and smiled happily, even as Makoto stiffened against him and babbled, "Oh! Um…forget what I just said!"

"...Makoto?"

She tried to look up at his face, but he simply squeezed her hand, resting his head carefully on hers and murmuring, "Can you say that again?"

"H-huh? Oh, I-..."

She whined softly and nuzzled against him, effectively lifting his mood as he turned in his seat and cupped her cheek in a palm. "Please?"

"Akira-kun…"

Akira simply smiled lovingly and kissed her, taking off his glasses and tucking them into his blazer pocket. He pulled away after a moment to say, "Y'know, I was telling the truth. I love you."

Makoto returned the expression warmly and scooted closer, pushing her bag under the chair with her foot. The donuts could wait for a few minutes. "I love you, too."

They leaned towards each other again, foreheads bumping affectionately before Makoto happily accepted another kiss.

* * *

 **When, at the end of the date, I saw that the item Makoto gives you is simply, and rather charmingly, called "Makoto Donuts", I had to laugh a bit. I imagined that she had a brand name and everything.**


	10. Testing the Waters

**I was originally sort of ambivalent towards the DLC Personas and some of the costumes (gotta get me that Catherine DLC though), but then I saw you could get Asterius and Tsukiyomi. They even have some of their Ultimax skills.**

 **...That's...that's not fair.**

* * *

"I didn't know you bothered to work out outside of the Metaverse."

"Gotta keep up with...everything. Would be...ugh, embarrassing if I got knocked out while we were in a Palace, or Mementos, or...something."

Akira huffed as he pulled himself up, kicking out subconsciously as he lowered himself down from the beam he was hanging from. Makoto sat on his bed, quietly snacking on some of the donuts she had thoughtfully brought over as she chatted with Akira. "I suppose that would be detrimental to our operations."

"Mhm…"

Akira grunted as he managed another pull-up, blowing out a breath as Makoto idly licked some of the crumbs off her thumb. "I do wonder how you can march along without a care in the world even as the rest of us are floundering."

"Well!" Akira did another pull-up and lowered himself to his stepping chair, hopping neatly into its seat and picking his water bottle from the floor. "I wouldn't say you flounder. You have way more energy than I."

Makoto watched him take a few precious pulls from the cold drink, muttering, "Hmm...you're making me put serious consideration into buying a punching bag."

"Where would you keep it? I imagine your sister wouldn't be too into that."

"True...I could keep it here."

"Well, you already spend a decent amount of time here. Wouldn't want to distract you from your studies."

He winked and took another swig from his water, sighing in satisfaction and placing it back on the floor. "Y'know, as much as I do already."

He hopped back onto the chair and jumped to grab the beam. As soon as he affirmed his grip with another hand, Akira set right back to work doing pull-ups. Makoto tried to offer some topics of conversation, but he seemed to be too engrossed in his workout this time around. Any answers he actually gave were short or vague at best, and simple noises of acknowledgement at worst. "You failed your midterms."

"Gah, that's disappointing.."

Akira's comment was rather monotonous, leading Makoto to muse that he truly was focused on his workout. "Ryuji was arrested."

"Again?"

"I-...what?" Makoto paused, putting a hand to her chin in thought as Akira laughed breathlessly, pulling himself up on the beam and lowering himself in another rep.

"Heh, gotcha."

She sighed, brushing some hair behind her ear and airily remarking, "Marry me, Akira."

"Whoa, what?!"

Akira's arm twitched and slipped from the beam, and he fell hard onto his back in his shock, curling slightly into a ball and groaning in pain. Makoto was at his side in seconds, hovering over him in evident concern. "I'm so sorry! I-I didn't think you were listening."

She pulled his head onto her lap and brushed some of the hair off his face. Akira managed a chuckle, nuzzling against her lap and curling into himself a bit. "Well, you were right, I was kinda zoning out there."

"What was that noise?! Are you both alright up there?"

Sojiro rushed up the stairs, a mug clutched in his hand as he beheld the two sitting on the floor. He stared at Akira's balled up form and raised an eyebrow. "What the-...are you two fighting or something?"

"She ambushed me, Boss…"

Akira groaned again and buried his face in Makoto's lap, leaving the student council president to blush and mutter another apology. Sojiro relaxed, placing the mug next to Akira's school bag and dragging a hand down his face. "You two are ridiculous sometimes. Go on a real date or something."

He sighed and walked back into the cafe, leaving the two to their own devices. "...Why did he bring a mug with him?"

Makoto shook her head, absently playing with Akira's hair as he rolled onto his back. "He likely intended to brain any intruders with it."

"Lucky for them."

She nodded, leaving Akira to gaze towards the ceiling. Makoto closed her eyes as a comfortable silence settled in the room, smiling when she felt Akira reach up and caress her cheek. "Are you free tomorrow?"

"I can make time for you. Did you have something in mind?"

"Yeah, I read about this new park the other day…"


	11. True

**Spoilers for the True Ending.**

 **And, um, if you didn't know there was a true ending...I-I'm sorry, I just didn't know any other way I could have labelled this.**

 **I beat P5...hoo boy, I'm in love. I'm just bubbling with ideas, I just need to put them together...**

* * *

Akira closed the roof of the van and sat back in his seat, resting his head on the cushion and closing his eyes. Morgana was quick to hop back into his lap, curling into a furry ball and muttering something along the lines of, "I fixed the car, let me have this."

Akira rewarded him with a scratch on the head and relaxed with a contented sigh. Ryuji nudged him with a grin and fished out his phone, plugging in a pair of headphones and mimicking Akira. Yusuke had already fished out a sketchbook and was vigorously jotting down a drawing of the waters and the road. Akira found himself drifting off amidst the general buzz of chatter among those who were paying attention...

"Hey...Akira-kun, are you actually asleep?"

Akira slowly opened his eyes and stretched his arms over his head, sleepily mumbling, "Am now. What's up?"

"I found a wonderful view of the sea, so we've decided to stop for a little while."

"Ah...wanna take five?"

Akira smiled and offered Makoto his lap with a flourish of his hand, but she rejected the offer with a reluctant shake of her head and accompanying blush. "Tempting, but no, thank you. Come on, you must be sore from being cooped up between Ryuji and Yusuke."

"You know me so well. Alright."

He hopped out of the van and did a few quick stretches, shaking the lead out of his legs and leaning against the door of the van. Makoto, contrary to claiming she wanted to see the sea, instead chose to do the same. Akira raised an arm to let her scoot closer, bringing it down around her shoulder and planting a light kiss on her hair. After a minute of warm silence, Akira sighed and looked up at the sky for what felt like the third time that day. "You know, when I said I wanted you to come with me, I didn't think you'd take it seriously."

"As if I would let you leave us behind so easily."

Akira smiled, moving behind Makoto and pulling her back into his chest and letting his arms wrap around her waist in a light, warm embrace. She was at a loss for words as he simply rested his cheek against her head and murmured, "Is this okay?"

Makoto looked around, raising her arms and resting them atop his. Akira moved his head as she relaxed, finding that having him close and holding her so securely actually felt rather nice. "It's perfect."

Akira closed his eyes again as Makoto sighed contentedly and relaxed against him. After letting a comfortable silence settle, he said, "Y'know, I almost forgot to give you your present."

"Present? What for?"

"I'unno. Being you?"

Makoto groaned softly, bowing her head with a blush. "You and your silly lines…"

Akira snickered and let her go, swiping the car key from her pocket and opening the van's trunk. Makoto scoffed at how skilled he had gotten at pickpocketing, following him around the vehicle as he rummaged about in his bag. "Aah, there it is! Here we go."

He triumphantly pulled a small case out of his bag, presenting it to Makoto with a small flourish. "Tada."

Makoto hesitantly opened the case and couldn't help but gasp in surprise. "This is...I've been looking for this figure for so long! How did you know…?"

Akira smiled and scratched the back of his head. "It wasn't easy. But hey, I figured you wanted one when we saw the poster in Shibuya."

She beamed and sat in the trunk to take a closer look at the motorcycle; Akira assumed by the way she touching certain parts of the figure that she was already dreaming about which parts she wanted to customize. He sat next to her and scratched his head again. "So, um...do you like it?"

Makoto carefully placed the case down and insistently pushed Akira against the wall of the van. As soon as he brought his legs into the trunk, Makoto straddled his lap and draped her arms around his shoulders with a fond smile. "I do. Thank you, Akira."

"Well then. That's good, otherwise this whole thing would be awkward-"

Makoto silenced him with a kiss, smiling against his lips when she felt his arms wrap around her back. The two were lost enough in their own, happy little bubble until the sound of a whistle pierced it.

Akira placed his hand on Makoto's upper back as she settled into his embrace, gazing lazily at Ryuji grinning and what looked like Yusuke with his sketchpad. Haru and Futaba were still looking out over the sea, with Morgana sitting next to Ann not too far away. "Come on, we were having a moment."

"My bad! We were thinking of grabbing the cooler, but then we saw the trunk was open and, uh...yeah."

"What do you mean? I thought you said you wanted to-

Ryuji quickly elbowed the artist before he could divulge more of their plan, quickly noticing Akira's dull stare and slowly circling around the van. "I'm just gonna...grab the cooler. S-see ya."

He disappeared before Makoto could get ahold of him, leaving her to sigh wistfully and shoo Yusuke off. He wisely took the hint and followed Ryuji when they heard a crash and a groan of anguish. "There goes that."

Akira chuckled and patted her back, swinging his legs out of the trunk and setting foot back to earth. Makoto followed suit, but remained while Akira stood and stretched for the third time that day. "Would you mind if I kept the box in your bag? I wouldn't want to damage it now that I know what it is."

"Feel free. Should we head out?"

"If you wish."

Akira offered Makoto his hand and walked her to the sea overlook, smiling as the wind swept past them. He exchanged a look with his friends and gazed skyward, saying, "So! I would say I want to go home right away, but we all know that's not true."

He turned to his team with a grin and asked, "What's our first stop?"

* * *

 **As I add more to this collection, I'll arrange the chapters such that they are chronological to the game's events, or at least according to how it played out for me. I'll make sure there are spoiler warnings when necessary, too.**

 **It'll be fun. See you next chapter.**


	12. The Weird Butler

**Hhhhhhhappy birthday, 4/23's!**

* * *

"Sis, you didn't have to take me out for dinner. I was already made to tour the town with everyone else today."

"I have a day off, and it's your birthday. Let me spoil you for once."

Makoto smiled exasperatedly, scanning the menu as her sister waved a waiter over. As soon as Sae followed suit with her own menu, she glanced around the restaurant. Strangely enough, the place was visibly empty save for the two of them. Truly strange. Sae looked up at the approaching figure and smirked, hiding it behind the menu she was perusing. "Welcome. My name is Kurusu, I will be your waiter tonight. May I start you two off with a drink?"

Makoto snapped out of her reverie, placing the menu down and turned towards the voice. "Ah, water would be- oh. H-huh."

Makoto's voice tapered off into an unintelligible mumble when she looked up, stunned silent from what she saw. Akira - or at least, someone who looked remarkably similar to him - was patiently waiting aside the table, his hair slicked back neatly and his glasses missing from his face. It made seeing his handsome features and his grey eyes much easier than Makoto cared to admit, a blush burning her face as he gazed at her evenly. The butler outfit he was absolutely rocking made him look far more trim than his usual halfway disheveled self. Sae suppressed a smile and hid it behind a menu as Akira smiled politely. "I apologize, miss, but I'm afraid I did not hear you."

Makoto blinked, his words flying over her head until Sae nudged her from under the table. "O-oh! I'm sorry, just-...um. Water will be fine, thank you."

"Of course. And you, ma'am?"

Sae smiled and shook her head, quickly scanning the drinks menu and pointing at one of the options. Akira only needed an instant to see what she was asking for, smiling softly and bowing to the two. "Very well. I will return shortly."

He strode off towards the kitchen, pushing the door open and throwing open the wine cabinet. "How's it going?"

Akira plucked one of the bottles out and scanned the label, leaning around the door to flash an 'OK' sign at Sojiro. The older man grumbled and looked closer at the cookbook sitting in front of him. Haru was dicing vegetables nearby, looking up and beaming at Akira. "Thanks again, Haru."

"Oh, please, don't thank me! I couldn't resist after hearing your plan, I'm only too happy to help."

"Tch, that makes one of us."

Akira grinned at Sojiro as he grunted, easily able to discern that, despite his complaints, the barista was having some semblance of fun. "This is an establishment of fine dining, Boss. It's an experience for both of us, you should be thanking Haru for renting the place out."

"You better be paying the poor girl back after this."

"No, that's alright. I knew Akira-kun would take to being a butler like a duck to water!"

"That's not the problem here…"

Akira whisked a tray, two glasses, the wine, and the water out of the kitchen, swiftly balancing them all on the surface of the metal before he came into view of the Niijima sisters again. "My apologies for the wait. Your drinks."

Akira placed a glass of water next to Makoto, skirting around the table to Sae's right and placing a glass down. He opened the wine bottle and poured a half-glass, murmuring, "Excellent choice of wine, ma'am."

"Thank you."

"Wine? Sis!"

Sae took a sip from her glass and shrugged at Makoto. "I won't let history repeat itself, I promise."

Akira took his place at the side of the table again and clasped his hands together. "Now then. Might I interest you two in some appetizers, or shall we move straight to the entrees?"

He listened attentively as the two placed their orders, apparently committing them to memory rather than write them down. "I understand. Please do not hesitate to ask for me if you need anything."

Akira bowed again and headed towards the kitchen, leaving the sisters to themselves once again. Makoto quickly took a drink of water to quell the heat in her cheeks. "I-I'm very confused right now."

"So am I. Maybe this is another job for him?"

"Somehow, I don't think so. The only jobs he's spoken to me about were the beef bowl shop, the flower shop, the convenience store, and the Crossroads bar in Shinjuku…"

Sae snorted, taking another sip of wine. "'Only'?"

"Well, he didn't work every day."

"Maybe this is one of those days. I do find it strange that he was working here of all days, of all the places, _and_ on the night of your birthday."

"It is pretty strange-"

"Excuse me."

Makoto jumped in her seat as she felt someone touch her elbow, Akira coming into view with a tray laden with plates and an apologetic look on his face. If she looked closer, however, she would have noticed the hint of amusement in his eyes. "Forgive my audacity, but I overheard that today was your birthday?"

He swiftly set the dishes down and refilled their drinks, ducking out of view only to quickly return with a last plate laden with a neat little cake. "For you. Happy Birthday, Makoto."

She gaped at the spread as he planted a quick kiss on her head, collecting what he had carried and disappearing again. Makoto dimly picked up a spoon and sampled the cake, narrowing her eyes at her now-smirking sister. "You planned this."

"I admit nothing. Eat your dinner first."

 **One hour later.**

Akira breathed a heavy sigh, pulling off his bowtie with a sharp tug and smoothing his hair back. He had already discarded his jacket after bringing Sae the check for the meal - in reality, it was simply a blank piece of note paper with a cheeky " **:3** " written on it. As such, he had taken the liberty of rolling up his sleeves, taking a sip of coffee despite Sojiro's warnings to watch his caffeine at night. Before he could set the cup back on its saucer, Makoto burst into the room he was sitting in. Akira looked at her, framed in the doorway, and smiled. "It's employees only, you know."

"I'm sure it is."

She almost stomped over to him, her hands grabbing his shoulders as she stared him down. "You have some nerve, Akira. I looked so silly in front of my sister."

"Well, you can't say that was my fault. Besides, I haven't even given you your present, birthday girl."

"Later."

She pulled him in for a kiss and threw her arms around his shoulders in a tight hug. "You're so strange sometimes."

Akira chuckled, patting her back and nodding against her arm. "You got me there."

* * *

 **Had to write something before the clock struck 12...might be a bit rushed 'cause of that. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed.**


	13. Wander About

**Pretty early on, when Makoto joins your party, Ryuji references a Bon Jovi song in regards to her biker outfit and transforma-cycle. Makoto goes on to say she is not "wanted", in accordance to the song lyrics. She, much like our Captain America, understood that reference.**

 **That was great, I loved that.**

* * *

 _From:_ Your Girlfriend

 _Akira? Sis left for work early this morning, so I didn't get the chance to make breakfast for her. If you're not busy, maybe you'd like to go somewhere with me?_

Sure. Where should I meet you?

 _An advertisement for the diner in Shibuya caught my eye the other day. That, and I heard some students talking about some of the food. I'd feel awkward going to a restaurant by myself, so…_

Got it. I'll see you on Central Street.

 _Thanks._

* * *

When Makoto offered to go to the diner, Akira, always eager to spend time with her, happily agreed. However, when the two sat to browse over what they offered for breakfast, Makoto noticed that Akira seemed to have been staring at one part of the menu in particular for a good five minutes. "Akira?...Did you find what you wanted?"

"Uh…"

He blinked and squinted slightly at the same spot, leaving Makoto to study which page he was looking at and exactly what part. Finding it after that was rather easy, but Makoto, unsure as to what to expect, stared at the same picture. "Pancakes…?"

"Yeah…"

Suddenly, she understood, grimacing slightly as she remembered Akira's explanation in regards to why he had developed a mild distaste for pancakes. "Maybe we should find somewhere else to eat."

"Let's."

The two wandered about for another hour or two, unable to find a place suitable for breakfast until it was already almost time for lunch. Akira seemed to reach an epiphany when he heard Makoto's stomach growl in protest."It's already lunchtime...heh, whoops. Ah...how about we have monja?"

"Monja? You mean monjayaki? We'd have to take the train to Tsukishima."

"Yeah. Ryuji showed me a place when he asked me to eavesdrop on the track team coach."

"...Wait, what?"

"I'll explain on the way. Let's go."

Makoto, now hungrier at the mention of monja, simply nodded and followed Akira to the station. As they stepped onto the first train to where he had pointed out the restaurant was, Akira gently pulled her to him as the train was flooded with other passengers. The crowd pressed the two rather uncomfortably against each other as the train began to move again. Akira managed to adjust his glasses, putting an arm around Makoto's waist as her hands were trapped against his chest. She blushed softly and looked away upon feeling the muscle underneath his clothes. "Someone's been working out…"

"What?"

"Nothing. Tell me about your coach stalking."

Akira frowned slightly, tapping her nose with a finger and muttering, "It wasn't stalking. It was precision following."

"It sounds like stalking to me."

"Okay, miss honor student. Ryuji wanted me to tail the new track coach and see if he was up to anything."

Makoto bit back a self-satisfied smirk when he dropped all pretenses of the stalking label, curiosity overcoming her smugness. "I assume he was?"

"Yeah. Nothing good. He wanted to take advantage of the members, drop them when they're useless to him...unsavory, to say the least."

Her eyes darkened in growing anger, something Akira picked up on and tried to quell with a kiss to her forehead. "Relax, Ryuji and I took care of it already. Yamauchi's out and the legit coach is in. Everybody wins."

Makoto smiled and rested her head on his chest, closing her eyes contentedly when she felt his hand rest carefully on her hair. "I wish you were on the student council."

"The delinquent who can kill with a look? Students might get the wrong idea, Prez."

She sighed, her fingers curling against his shirt as she mumbled, "Now that I know you as well as I do, I want those rumors to disappear."

Akira looked at the ceiling, smiling softly at the ads for the new Risette merch as he slowly brushed Makoto's hair. "In an ideal world, maybe. Don't know about you, but I wouldn't trade this for anything."

She looked up at him, confused until he smiled at her and explained. "If I won the hearts and minds of the people that night, I wouldn't have met any of you."

He kissed her forehead again, to accentuate his point. "Particularly you, and all your cuteness."

Makoto took a moment to digest his words. After said beat, a warm blush colored her cheeks as she smiled back. "Thank you."

She stood up a bit on her toes to press her lips shyly to his, moaning softly when he tilted his head slightly and returned it, eager to partake in her affection. They only held the kiss for a few scant moments before parting, due to it being neither the ideal time nor place. Akira's smiled grew slightly as he planted a final kiss of her forehead, murmuring "rule of three" as he did.

Their train pulled into the station a few minutes later, but Akira insisted on waiting for the bulk of the crowd to mill out of the train before stepping out. "The monja place should be just down this street. It's old-fashioned, I think you'll like the look of it."

Makoto followed silently, looking around the area as Akira led her to the restaurant in question. _Huh...it looks like there's a multitude of older stores dotting this town…_

"Here it is. I'll find us a table."

Turns out it wasn't that hard to find a table. Akira made a show of seating Makoto before himself, calling a waiter over and placing a big enough order for two of the. Makoto was mystified when she saw that the meal would be mostly self-cooked. "Wait, so you cook it yourself on this griddle...with a spatula?"

She looked from the offending griddle to Akira, then back again. "Isn't this a restaurant? Why is the customer making their meal?!"

Akira chuckled softly and picked up two spatulas, about to set to work before Makoto interjected again. "...Do you know how to prepare monjayaki?"

"Leave it to me."

Makoto breathed a sigh of relief, watching Akira place the monja ingredients on the griddle and chop it with the spatulas. He urged her to watch with a nod of his head as he let them cook briefly, mixing them together and making a small well in the middle of the pile. Makoto watched, enraptured, as he poured the dashi soup into the space. He neatly collected any escaping liquid and let it cook before handing Makoto one of the spatulas. "Here, help me mix it together."

They did so, Makoto following Akira's cue as he gathered the batter into a tighter bundle. "Now we just mash it and let it cook for a bit longer."

Akira made small talk over the sound of the frying batter, glancing between the pan and Makoto. "So. I'd say we're a pretty ragtag bunch of misfits."

"With unclear goals and good hearts, right? Although, I would venture that our goals are actually pretty clear...What?"

Akira shook his head and smiled, looking down at the grill and toying with the spatula as he murmured, "Nothing. Just...impressed. Anyway, I, uh...I heard about this in a game once. Let me see if I remember right…"

Makoto watched him try to recall with a small smile, idly poking the monja with her spatula. _It's almost done…_

"Right. There were these two guys, in the yakuza, right? So they're having this whole discussion about how worthless they are in the big picture while having barbeque. And…and the the bigger guy's just going on, making comparisons between them and the cheapest barbeque you can buy. Tripe."

Makoto sliced through the finished monjayaki with her spatula, picking up the smaller one for eating and taking a small scoop of the fried mixture. She sampled it and made a small hum of happiness at how good it was in comparison to its looks. Akira smiled at that, gesturing absently as he continued his strange recollection. "He goes on about how tripe has to be burnt before its real flavor comes out. That's kinda like us, right? Me, at least."

Makoto let him take a bit of the monja before taking another for herself, giggling softly as he fanned his mouth. "I think that's the most you've ever spoken in one sitting since I've met you."

Akira grinned. "Maybe so. I just like yakuza stuff. Besides, so do you."

He nodded wistfully, leaning back in his chair in a way that made him look tired without tipping the whole thing over. Curious. "I'm starting to get the impression that you're craving barbecue rather than monjayaki."

"Hmmmaybe a little."

"Well, it's a good thing we didn't order too much, then. Come on, let's find you a barbeque place."

"What? No, we can-"

Makoto didn't reply, simply standing next to his chair and offering him both her hands. She smiled softly when he fumbled for something to say. "Come on. I'm pretty sure I saw a good place on the way here."

Akira made to object again before glancing at the empty griddle. "...Okay. Let me pay for what we ordered and we can look around."

"Again."

He laughed softly, taking her hands and standing, although he managed the feat mostly on his own strength. "Well, you knew what you were signing on for."

"I suppose I did. You do eat a lot."

"That too. Just don't take me to Big Bang Burger."

* * *

 **Saw some of the Mementos chats I missed during my playthrough...Makoto is definitely the Team Mom, that much is easy to see. I think my favorite has to be "Would anyone know any good vendors for professional-quality brass knuckles?"**

 **That, or the one where Futaba wants candy.**


	14. For Research

**I've already made rather blatant Yakuza references in some of my stories. I'm not gonna stop, though.**

 **The sixth one is out in** _ **Japan**_ **, so this can make sense.**

 **...Ain't the Internet grand?**

* * *

 _To:_ Your Girlfriend

I have a surprise for you~.

 _I don't like the sound of that…_

Well, it's more like I need a favor. I have some...contraband I need you to hold on to for me.

 _...That doesn't sound much better._

That might have been on purpose. Anyway, can we meet? Or you can come to Leblanc, I can make you some coffee…

 _I'll see you there._

* * *

"Here you go."

Akira carefully placed a steaming cup in front of Makoto, picking up a small rag and heading back to the coffee machines to wipe some that had spilled. Makoto quietly blew some of the steam off the top and took a sip, smiling slightly as the depths of the drink as she murmured, "Blue Mountain, huh."

"You're getting better. Or are you just using Boss's old cheat sheets?"

"Mm. I just cover all my bases."

She took another appreciative sip of coffee as Akira smiled and reached for his bag. "So you have a PQ4 at your place, right?"

"The game system? Yes, I bought one for...to better understand what our students are interested in nowadays. Why?"

Akira shrugged, willfully letting the poor excuse go as he reached into his bag. "This is for you, then."

Akira pulled out a blue disc case, handing it over to Makoto without another word. "Even for you, Akira, this is strange. I understand that you have an old game system at home, but-"

He smiled as she froze, staring at the front of the case as she turned it over in her hand. "You were saying?"

"I, um...w-was simply stating that you have a game system of your own, but this is clearly made for a next-generation console."

"Oh? I wonder why I would do that."

Makoto stared at the front of the game case for a moment more before looking up at Akira. "This is for me?"

"Maybe. Depends, do you like it?"

She bit her lip hard to suppress a smile; her excitement was bubbling in her stomach at the prospect of going home and starting as soon as possible. She blushed softly and glanced up at Akira, still watching her intently for any kind of reaction. The ghost of a smile on his face told her he knew already, however. "I...appreciate it. Very much so."

"Uh-huh. It was either this or the special edition of Trial of the Dragon."

Makoto's ears perked slightly at the mention of the legendary movie, narrowing her eyes at the game case as if she was torn between which one she wanted more. Akira deduced that the game won out in the end, because she delicately set it down on the counter and skirted around it to pull Akira into a hug. "Thank you. Now I have to find some way to match this."

"Nah."

Akira smiled and brushed her hair, briefly toying with her headband until she blindly reached up and batted his hand away. He chuckled and patted her head before adding, "You could finish your coffee, though. Boss would kill me if he finds out I wasted some of his quality beans."

She laughed and pulled away, playfully pushing his shoulder as she sat down in her previous seat and picked up her coffee.

 **The next day.**

* * *

 _From:_ Your Girlfriend

 _You terrible, wonderful person - you are spoiling me._

Should I be flattered…?

 _You can be whatever you want._

 _I'm going to be a bit...busy today. If you would like to visit, however, you're welcome to. Sis isn't home today, so…_

Busy with your new game, huh?

…

Makoto?

 _Sorry. And no._

That doesn't sound very convincing.

…

I'll just go ahead and visit in a bit.

 _Call me when you arrive. I'll unlock the door._

She lives!

…

I'll bring lunch.

* * *

Akira's thumb hovered over the dial button for a split-second before he pressed it, his other hand affirming the grip he had on the plastic bag filled with food from the Shibuya diner. The door's lock was audibly undone a moment later, swinging open as if a gust of wind had blown into it. He raised an eyebrow at that, ending the call despite neither end saying anything. Stepping inside, he beheld quite the curious sight. Makoto was...gaming.

He set the bag of food down in the kitchen after taking his shoes off, doubling back to shut and lock the door. "Makoto?"

The game case he had given her the day before was lying open on the floor near her TV, the sounds of telltale street violence echoing gently throughout the room. Akira winced slightly when he saw who he assumed to be the protagonist launch into a flurry of wild punches, culminating in a very detailed view of his fist caving in a helpless goon's face. He leaned over to see the tight grip Makoto had on the controller, deftly pressing the right buttons to keep the nonlethal carnage going. It made for quite the change from the bumbling, hapless girl he had coached on playing Gun About. "Take that!"

Akira gaped as the protagonist suplexed another enemy hard enough to bounce him off the pavement. He quietly sat down next to Makoto and carefully nudged her shoulder. "Painting the town red, eh."

The battle finished along with his sentence, allowing Makoto to pause and put her controller down with a satisfied smile. "It's pretty cathartic. And I've definitely learned some new moves."

"Huh, nice. Hungry for lunch?"

Makoto took a look at the screen and nodded, just then noticing that she had been neglecting her stomach for a few hours already. Akira stood and offered a hand, leading her to the dining table before heading into the kitchen. "Where are the plates?"

 **Hours later.**

"Makoto? I'm home."

"Welcome back, Sis!"

"Hmm, something smells good. Did you - oh….Well, this is unexpected."

Sae's eyes widened in pleasant surprise at the still-steaming plate of curry waiting for her on the table. "I didn't know you had a recipe for curry…"

"Oh, right. About that. I think we'll need to take out some spare blankets."

"What? For who-"

Sae set her bag down and walked around the couch, revealing Akira sleeping quietly on Makoto's lap. His glasses were resting next to the TV, so it was somewhat easy to assume he had been there for a while. As for Makoto, she was still playing the gifted game, enraptured by the sights and sounds of the fictional town. "I don't know what I was expecting."

"Oh, don't say that. Akira-kun practices making curry a lot. It's the Leblanc special, too."

Akira's eyes cracked slightly at the mention of Leblanc, muttering in a voice slurred by sleep, "I got it, Boss, I'll use the medium-fine grind…"

Makoto smiled fondly and brushed his hair, bringing a little bit of life into him as he blinked at the TV. "...Did you get to the part where they rip their clothes off with one pull…?"

"Not quite. I'll be sure to let you know."

"Mm." Akira snuggled into Makoto's lap and closed his eyes again, presumably heading right back to sleep. "Counting on you."

Sae sighed and looked at the obviously content couple, hiding a smile by nodding curtly and wandering over to the table. "I suppose I'll have to thank him later. Do you remember where the spare sheets are?"

"I do."

"Alright. I'm going to head to bed after I try this."

Sae looked over at Makoto again, then to the TV. She tried to move past the fact that the guy on screen was singing a rather happy-sounding song, complete with ukulele and head-bobbing crowd. "I, um...just don't stay up too late, okay?"

"Okay, Sis."

"Do I hear a curfew…?"

"No, Akira-kun. Go back to sleep."

"'Kay."

* * *

 **PQ4, get it? 'Cause, 'cause PQ...eheh...ehehe. Oh, it's lame.**

 **On a rather unrelated note, been playing Nier again. Turns out Makoto and one of the playable characters share a voice actor.**

 **As always, hope you enjoyed. Till next chapter.**


	15. For Research: Epilogue

**I don't know if the notification for the previous chapter went out because, while it published, I was told there was an error. The chapter was up, but the information did not update. I decided to reupload it as soon as I could, with this a little add-on to apologize for the trouble.**

* * *

" _Nice one, Queen! That's one down!"_

Queen holstered her revolver and twirled into her default stance as the shadow she shot fell to the ground. Joker nodded once and looked over to her, asking, "Gonna pass the baton-"

"Take this!"

Joker stopped where he stood as Queen quickly righted herself, charging forward and tightening the grip she had on her steel knuckles. She leapt forward and drew back her fist, bringing it crashing down on the shadow hard enough to flip her forward onto her back. While the wild attack completely decimated the enemy, it left Queen dazed as she stumbled to her feet. Oracle cut in as Joker ducked forward, tugging her back and stepping in front of her with knife at the ready. " _Well, uh...that's one enemy gone. G-good job, Queen. Oh! That was also a critical attack, so she can go again, but...maybe she should pass the baton."_

"Sounds good to me. Queen."

Joker looked over his shoulder at the still-dazed Queen and offered his hand. "Nice hit. Down low."

Queen stared at his hand judiciously before winding back and missing. Once, twice. Joker smirked as her hand finally slapped his on the third try. "Proud of ya."

He called Arsene to quickly dispatch the remaining shadows, turning from the ensuing explosion of varying elements and reaching into his pocket. Queen felt him take her hand and press an Alert Capsule into it alongside a Dr. Salt NEO. "Here. Should help with the headache."

"Thanks."

He poked her forehead with a gloved hand and smiled. "Fun as that was to watch, be more careful."

"No."

"That was awesome! Where'd you learn to do something like that?!"

Skull and Noir approached the two as Queen leaned against the subway wall and chewed on the Capsule, sighing in relief as the dizziness faded into a memory. "I studied certain materials to learn more about effective combat maneuvers."

Skull looked quizzically at Joker, who scratched the back of his head and chuckled. "She played games for few hours."

Queen groaned, turning her face away from Skull as a ridiculous grin spread across his face. Even Noir was covering her mouth to hold back a giggle. "L-let's just move on."

" _Woah, Queen...this game's so violent! I thought you had enough fun doing your whole smash 'em all routine in here!"_

"Oracle, which way?"

" _Ooh...did he just kick that guy in the face? In slo-mo? Joker, we have to find this later!"_

"Oracle!"


	16. True II

**I adore road trips. I'll entertain this idea whenever I'm given an idea, hence the identical title aside from the numeral.**

* * *

Makoto jumped in her seat when she felt something heavy yet gentle pat her shoulder, the grip she had on the van's steering wheel tightening in surprise. She checked the road ahead before sneaking a look at Akira in silent question. He smiled at her and jerked his thumb towards a sign designating a rest area. "How about we break for the night? You look like you could use some sleep."

"Not just her! I need a bed, Akira!"

He chuckled and shrugged as best he could under the confines of his seatbelt. "Futaba's made her argument. What do you think?"

Makoto simply kept one hand on the wheel, using the other to point out the windshield. As soon as Akira looked where she was pointing, he smiled. "Looks like we're breaking for the night, everyone."

A half-hearted cheer rumbled throughout the van as Makoto pulled into the lot of the Chagall motel, practically throwing the stick into park and slumping in her seat. "Finally…"

Akira reached over and rubbed her shoulder before hopping out of his seat. "Stretch your legs. I'll rent out a room or two."

Makoto watched him go, the van rocking to and fro as the rest of the group filed out to follow Akira. He seemed to sense them, holding out one of the room keys so he wouldn't have to endure being tackled for it by Ryuji or Futaba. The latter beat the former, grabbing the offered key and dashing upstairs with a cackling "muehehehe". Ryuji sprinted about her soon after, wailing something about needing a shower after the long day.

Akira tossed the other room key to Haru with a wink, striding back outside to check on Makoto, who was strangely absent from the lobby ambush.

He found her leaning against the door frame, watching the van as if it was going to disappear if she took her eyes off it. Because of that, it came as no surprise that she jumped for the second time that evening when Akira patted her shoulder. "You look beat."

"I feel beat."

"Well, we have two rooms. Hopefully that's enough for seven plus a cat."

"That's good. I just can't wait to get some sleep - oh."

Makoto averted her gaze as soon as she looked at Akira, uncomfortably crossing her arms as Akira raised a confused eyebrow. "Something wrong?"

"No, nothing, it's just, um...you look really different without your glasses."

He laughed softly and joined her in leaning against the wall, planting the toe of his shoe against the pavement and slipping his hands in his pockets. "For better or worse?"

"For better. Although you did look cuter with the glasses."

"And now?"

"...Handsome?"

Makoto snuck a look at him but quickly averted her eyes. "Not used to it, huh."

"I, um...will admit that I'm having trouble."

"Yeah?"

Akira scooted a bit closer and nudged her shoulder with his, subtly tricking her into looking up at him in question. The gesture, of course, caused her to meet his eyes without his usual glasses in the way; a fact that quickly gave way to a flustered blush. "N-now you're just messing with me."

"Maybe a little."

He stole a quick kiss and took her hand, gently swinging their joined hands towards one of the small restaurants scattered around the rest area. "Let's get something to eat."

"Huh? Oh, should I call the others, or…?"

Makoto deduced Akira's answer when he started walking, following as she asked, "We'll order something for them afterwards. Is that okay?"

"Well, I'm not opposed, but are you sure?"

Akira grinned over his shoulder and nodded. "I finally have you to myself for the first time this trip, let me have this."

Makoto smiled and sped up her case to keep up with him more easily. "I can't argue with that."

[- - -]

"Guess we were hanging around for longer than I thought."

"It would seem so...the sun's already going down."

The two made their way to the hotel rooms Akira had handed out the keys to, stopping outside the one he remembered giving to Haru. "Oh...uh. Oops."

Akira snapped his fingers as he remembered just what their new dilemma was, breaking out into a fit of laughter until Makoto shushed him. "What, what's wrong?"

"I, er...heh, I don't have a key."

"You didn't keep a room key for yourself?"

"I didn't think that far ahead. The whole 'grab a bite' plan was sort of spontaneous."

"I'm starting to think there's a type of duality between Akira and Joker."

Akira smirked and shrugged, typing out a quick message on his phone as he said, "Well, Joker is good at some things, Akira's good at others."

The door opened less than a second later, revealing a rather exhausted-looking Haru. "Oh."

"Hi, Akira-kun, Mako-chan. Everyone else is already sleeping. I, um...tried to keep them awake long enough for dinner, but…"

Haru leaned away from the door and covered her mouth as she yawned, shaking sleep out of her head as Akira held the door and stepped in. He carefully patted Haru's shoulder and whispered a "sorry" as he surveyed the room, leaving the bag of food he had picked up on one of the cabinets. Ann and Futaba had monopolized the respective beds, leaving Haru with the floor and whatever extra sheets and pillows she could grab. Makoto frowned slightly at the two juniors and gently urged Haru to go back to sleep, whispering, "You didn't have to sleep on the floor."

Haru smiled and curled up under a blanket, packing a pillow under her head to get comfortable. "I think I did. It's like being a chaperone again."

Makoto smiled back and patted her head, standing and pulling Akira back to the doorway. "Plan A is a bust, leader. What's our next move."

"I appreciate the sarcasm." Akira quietly shut the door and listened to make sure the lock engaged before continuing. "I get the feeling we'll get a similar result if we try the designated guy's room. Although, waking up any of them is probably a recipe for disaster."

"Even Morgana?"

"Especially Morgana."

Akira sighed, glancing down the hall and checking the time on his phone. "Hm...let's see if we can rent out another room."

[- - -]

"I'm very sorry, sir."

Akira pocketed his wallet and politely bowed his head, walking back to where Makoto was sitting in the lobby and shaking his head. "No dice. We're locked out tonight."

"I see."

Akira bit back a cringe at the downcast look on Makoto's face, sitting next to her and rubbing her shoulder. "I guess we'll have to sleep in the car. Let's just take some of the extra blankets and...what's wrong?"

Makoto shook her head and smiled, standing and leaning down to bump her forehead against Akira's affectionately. "Nothing. You bounce back remarkably quick."

"That I do. Let me see what I can do."

[- - -]

Makoto wrung her hands nervously as Akira dropped the row of seats in the center of the van, pushing it against the driver's seat to open up the space in the back. She could tell he was talking to himself as he worked, but couldn't help but listen. "Huh, roomier than I thought…"

"Are you okay in there?"

"Peachy! Can scratch this off the bucket list."

"I...I can't tell if you're being serious."

"Huh?" Akira poked his silly head out of the van to look at Makoto, shaking some hair out of his eyes to see her more clearly. "I'm always serious."

She snorted and leaned against the passenger side door, occasionally looking at Akira hard at work before realizing that, while her intentions were pure, the view was essentially looking at him, not his progress. That realization registered a blush and a few minutes of hesitation before she tried again. "All right, we're all set. Wanna come in?"

Makoto peeked into the van's interior, slowly stepping in as Akira scooted over and sat down. "...Huh."

Akira had managed to turn the free space into a reasonably neat and comfortable looking den. He had managed to pilfer a decent number of pillows with Haru's sleepy, begrudging help, spreading a couple of travel blankets along the floor from a hasty purchase from the local convenience store. Makoto couldn't help but smile at the evident amount of effort and care that had been put into their room for the night. "Wow."

Akira closed the van door and leaned into the driver's seat to lock the doors, plopping himself back down with a satisfied smile. "It's not a five star room, but it's the best I could do considering."

Makoto patted down one of the pillows, slowly settling onto one side of the makeshift bed and letting out a small, happy sigh she felt newfound warmth seep into her. It made for a welcome change from the chill of waiting outside the motel. Akira loomed over her briefly, as if he was surveying how comfortable she was, lying down next to her and pulling a blanket over them both. He crossed his hands behind his head and settled into the makeshift bed, seemingly content with sleeping in a car when a motel was a stone's throw away.

Try as she might, Makoto couldn't find the motivation to sleep, idly tossing and turning while simultaneously trying not to disturb Akira. "I know."

Laughter was laced in Akira's words as he turned his head; Makoto could see the small smile on his face even in the darkness of the car. "Sorry. I guess I'm just not used to this."

"Sleeping with me, or in a car?"

Makoto blushed at his airy audacity, pulling the sheets over her mouth and muttering, "Both."

He chuckled again and turned his gaze back to the ceiling. "I'm not gonna do anything to you, if that's what you're worried about."

"That's not what I was worried about."

Akira nodded and turned on his side with a grin. "Unless you want me to-"

Makoto pressed her pillow to his face to shut him up, turning away from him as the heat in her face intensified. "You're terrible."

"...Terribly handsome, or…?"

"Oh, shut up."

Akira took the pillow off his face and flopped onto his back, passing the cushion back to Makoto before closing his eyes again. A few minutes passed before Makoto spoke up again. "Quite the first night for our grand road trip."

Akira thought about it and, upon conceding that she was right, chuckled. "Seems so. I dunno, it's kinda romantic to me."

She looked at him quizzically and deadpanned, "Do tell."

"Well, it's just you and me, nice and snug-"

"In a car, while a motel lies less than twenty feet away."

"In a car, under the stars…"

"We can only see the stars through the roof and the windows."

Akira seemed genuinely content about the whole deal, however. "Heheh, yep."

Makoto smiled at his pure happiness and nuzzled her face into her pillow, Akira's reasoning cheering her somewhat. She finally felt as if sleep was going to claim her until she heard him whisper, "...Sorry."

She looked back over her shoulder, responding before she could think. "Huh?"

Akira looked alarmed slightly that he had woken her up, blinking quickly as he tried to get his thoughts together. "No, I...sorry, it's just...you've been stuck in the driver's seat all day, and you end up sleeping in the car."

Makoto grinned happily at his concern, scooting back against him after a moment of consideration. She felt his breath hitch at the sudden contact, his body shifting subtly as if he was trying to figure out what to do with his hands. However satisfying it was to finally see his composure crumble, Makoto still reached up to grab one of his arms, pulling it down around her waist and snuggling against him. "I don't know. I think this is just fine."

Makoto was unsure if it was just her imagination, but she felt as if Akira's embrace tightened around her as he hesitantly rested his chin against her shoulder. The tension left his body, replaced by a feeling of contentment and affection for the girl in his arms. Makoto was right; this was just fine.

[- - -]

"Hey, Akira~! Makoto, you in there?"

Akira opened his eyes slowly, staring dazedly up at the roof of the van as Makoto curled against him as if to shut out the noise of Ryuji's fist smacking against the door. He held Makoto's head against his chest to try and block out the noise for both of them, but to no avail. She groaned and buried her face in his shirt, muttering, "I swear, I'm going to punch him."

Akira's fist rapped against the door, grabbing his phone from under the mess of sheets and typing out a quick group message. "'Trying to sleep, come back in twenty'- What?!"

Akira sent another message to follow up, this time being read by Ann. "'Left brunch with Haru. Enjoy'. Huh."

"Oh, right! Before I went to sleep, he left a bunch of food in our room! Let's go, give them some time to wake up."

Ryuji tried to object, but he was dragged away amidst the others in a wave of chatter and footsteps. Akira stared at the opposite door and grumbled, "That oughta buy us some time."

"Good."

Makoto simply pulled him close and tugged the blanket back over them. "Twenty minutes. Then we could both use a shower."

"Sounds like a plan."

* * *

 **Please, tell me if you dislike it, but I do like writing about nothing in particular. Things are a bit hectic right now, so my bigger chapters will have to wait, but I'll be back at it soon.**


	17. The Extra Mile

**This is taking IZA's review and blowing it out of proportion. Channel Majima, Akira!**

* * *

"I dare you!"

Makoto's shout stopped Tsukasa in his tracks, although Akira could easily tell that he was livid and hungry for retribution. His glasses veiled his eyes as the host curled his fingers into a fist; it wouldn't be long now. "Your fight's with me."

Tsukasa's glare shot to Akira as he stepped in front of Makoto, smiling crookedly as he kept walking. Tsukasa was still upset, of course, but Akira's interruption was surprising enough for him to stumble back in surprise. "Akira-kun…"

"Your mark is upset. Stand back."

"Fine! I'll kick your ass first!"

Akira smirked as Tsukasa stomped forward, raising a fist no doubt meant for his face. Just as he attempted to strike, however, Akira skirted around it lazily; the maneuver left Tsukasa staring at the wall in surprise. From his view, it was as if Akira disappeared. Makoto and Eiko could only watch, stunned, as he leaned into view again from behind Tsukasa and patted his shoulder. "Right here."

He ducked under a wild backhand, turning on his heel and stepping back towards Makoto with a subdued smile. He took off his glasses and hooked them onto his shirt; it was enough for Makoto to deduce that he was indulging his Joker side. "You missed."

Tsukasa tried to strike again only to miss, his anger boiling over as his sight fell on Makoto. "You…"

He lunged for her even as Eiko gasped in surprise, hands intent on either beating her down or choking her out. "T-this is all your fault!"

Makoto narrowed her eyes, ready to counter Tsukasa's punch but not getting the chance due to Akira's palm intercepting it. He gave her a pointed look, his fingers tightening around Tsukasa's fist to keep him still. Suddenly, he wrenched his arm upwards, sending the host stumbling back as Akira stood in front of Makoto again. "You-"

"Before you go on...you really think this is a good idea? Look around."

Akira cocked his head towards the mob of people that had gathered to watch the one-sided struggle. The eyes on them were either in awe of Akira or filled with disdain for Tsukasa. "I don't think anyone approves of you trying to hit my girlfriend."

"What?"

"One sec, dear, I'm doing a thing."

"O-oh."

"Now! I, in my humble opinion as Glasses-kun, suggest you go. And leave Makoto alone."

Tsukasa's eye twitched, his face twisting into an ugly snarl as he looked around. The crowd was talking about him, he could tell, but…"You bastard...I'll remember this!"

Makoto nudged Akira to the side as Tsukasa ran off, at a loss for words until she settled for, "...Wow. He wasn't so tough after all."

"Ugh...this sucks!"

Eiko ran off before either of the two could stop her, leaving Makoto feeling rather crestfallen until Akira checked the crowd again. "...We should probably leave."

" _Whoa, did you see that?"_

" _Were they fighting with that host?"_

" _They were really going at it…"_

Makoto winced, looking to Akira for their next course of action. "People noticed what happened…"

"Follow me."

"Right, okay. Staying here would only bring us more trouble."

Akira waited for her briefly as she looked down the alley where Eiko ran off, the two of them running off in the direction of the Crossroads bar.

[- - -]

"I can't believe I hit one of my friends…"

Makoto stared, forlorn, into her glass of water, idly shaking it and watching the ice dance within. Akira nodded politely at Lala as a silent request to have some alone time. The owner of the bar and, by extension, his boss, nodded in kind, moving to the opposite side of the bar and gathering glasses for washing. "Well, you've hit me before."

"Huh?"

"In the Metaverse. Brainwashing, confusion, et cetera. Your fist, my face?"

Makoto huffed, placing her glass on the counter and turning to properly face him. "That's not _entirely_ my fault."

"I know...You miss most of the time anyway."

Akira grinned as she laughed, satisfied that he managed to lift her mood however slightly. "In all honesty, that was the right move."

"Really? I hope so. Also, while we're on the topic of missing - that wasn't very nice, you know."

Akira grinned and adjusted his glasses. "Maybe, maybe not. But were you impressed?"

"...A little. B-but that's not the point here!"

"Didn't think so."

Makoto sighed, picking up her glass and bringing it to her lips. Before she took a drink, though, she hesitated, putting it back down with another sigh. "...I have a bad habit of getting caught up in the moment. I can't help it...my father was the same."

Akira heard her voice sink to a murmur at the mention of her father, unable to do more aside from scoot closer and hope his presence was enough to help recover her composure. "...That's not the proper way to act, though. There's no telling what would have happened if you hadn't stepped in."

"A serious ass-kicking?"

"Uh, no-"

"You would've given him a stern warning and wagged your finger at him?"

"Akira, please."

"Okay...were you gonna tag me in or something?"

Makoto grinned and punched his shoulder playfully. "You tagged yourself in, Akira-kun."

"That I did."

Akira smiled and nudged her glass closer to her in a silent urge to drink something. She took a drink of water before setting it down and taking the chance to get a good look at the bar. Her sight fell on Lala briefly, who winked at her and pointed to Akira. "That, um...that aside, this is place is...interesting. How did you ever find a place like this?"

Makoto turned to face him with a small, somewhat grateful smile. "You know so much."

Akira felt his face warm slightly at the prospect that she was genuinely impressed with him. As such, he stumbled over his next words but managed to recover enough to put a sentence together. "I work here when I have time in the evenings. Which is...becoming less often, unfortunately."

"I see."

"...Would you mind if I saw your phone?"

"Huh? Oh, sure. Here."

Akira took the offered phone with a nod of thanks, quickly opening the messenger, biting back a grin at the name she had chosen for Tsukasa - _Hate Sink #4_.

He opened the conversation and looked at the latest message, disregarding Tsukasa's flirty, emoji-laden reply: _'I'll b 5mins late 2day, bb.'_

True to her word, there were plenty of emojis slapped on the end of the message. Out of the amalgam of emotional expressions, Akira noticed one that looked strangely like Morgana. He covered his mouth with the top of his fist and tried not to laugh, prompting Makoto to frown slightly and ask him why. "I think the 'bb' is the icing on the cake…"

Makoto blushed in response, stubbornly staring into her glass as Lala's laughter at the expense of the two drifted over. Akira smiled kindly, handing back her phone and taking off his glasses to swipe something out of his eye. "I'm not laughing at you because of that, it's just...you looked so serious when you were reciting it in front of Tsukasa. It's cute. I'd even go as far as saying it's endearing."

Makoto smiled despite herself, stowing away her phone with a shake of her head. "I envy you sometimes."

"How so?"

"You never seem to be shackled by anything. I know now that there is so much that can be missed if one just keeps their nose buried in books all the time. I...have so much to learn. You guys taught me that."

Makoto hesitated, looking down into her lap as she whispered, "...Do you remember how Eiko said I would flunk a test about love?"

Akira's heart skipped a beat, his mouth running dry as his mind quickly tried to deduce why she was bringing up that subject, but he could only come to one conclusion. Whether it was from his personal bias or common sense didn't matter as he scratched the back of his head and stammered, "W-well, you said it yourself. You 'most certainly wouldn't flunk them'...right? Heh...um."

Makoto shared a nervous little laugh with him, clearing her throat with a sip of water and glancing between him and her lap. "What...what should I do, Akira-kun?"

A tinge of what felt like hope crept into her voice as she looked at nothing in particular and offered, "I can't learn about romance by myself…"

"I'll be your study partner."

They locked eyes then, blush evident on both their faces as he tried to articulate. "We're both, er...both not very well-versed in this kind of thing, so…"

Lala busied herself with a clean glass, hiding a smile at the comedy of awkwardness unfolding in her bar. It had been a while since a good, old-fashioned confession. "A-allow me to confirm this, but...and forgive me if I'm mistaken, but...oh, I'm going in circles."

"Take your time."

"I think it'd be better if I just ask now. Do you...like me?"

Akira gazed at her, as if he wanted to say far more than, "I do. A lot."

"O-oh."

"...Yeah."

"This is so embarrassing…"

Contrary to her words, Makoto was smiling, the blush on her cheeks making it look that much cuter in Akira's eyes. What he saw when his sight drifted past her, however, soured his mood a bit. "Well, I look forward to, um...growing our relationship together….Akira?"

Akira managed to ignore the shiver run down his spine at hearing his name without the honorific, reaching down to take Makoto's hand in his own. She tried not to freak out at the contact, choosing instead to listen as Akira muttered, "Likewise. Unfortunately, we seem to be under surveillance."

"What?"

She turned around at Akira's urging, stunned silent when she noticed that Lala was holding a camcorder and wearing a happy smile. "It's been so long since I witnessed such drama! Like I spritz of lemon in the air if I do say so myself!"

"I think that's our cue to leave. Lala-chan, I'll be in for work tonight-"

"Don't even think about it, young man! You will find something to do with your girlfriend or I will cut your pay the next time you come in!"

Akira was taken aback by the fire in his boss's eyes, "Oh. Er...right. In that case, thanks for letting us stick around."

Lala simply smiled, fiddling with the playback on the camcorder with a happy hum. Akira took that as a hint that the drinks were free, too. "Makoto, ready to head out?"

He hopped off his seat and checked his bag before looking to his...girlfriend again. She mimicked his action, nodding quietly but gazing down at his hand. After a moment, he understood, offering it, albeit shyly to her as if she asked him to. Not a minute later, the door to Crossroads clicked shut, leaving Lala by herself as she collected her young guests' glasses and set to work cleaning them. "Makes me think back to when I was just a wee girl…"

* * *

 **This one feels awkward, but I really wanted to finish it tonight.**

 **On another note, a Guest review asked me if I was still writing Souji/Naoto stories.**

 **Indeed I am, and I shall for the foreseeable future. I was kinda dancing between this and the next chapter of Into the Fray, the latter because it's almost finished and I really hope I can end it well. I finally got over my writer's block for that, so I'm kinda antsy.**

 **Enough about that for now. Hope you enjoyed, as I always do. Till the next chapter.**


	18. Shady Online Shopping

**This is kinda going off the whole buying brass knuckles thing. Where else can you get such wonderful bargains?**

 **Also, I read up on the P5 Anthology based on gerson's review...Makoto is superbly bossy.**

 **Double also, thanks for all the support. Most recently I got a string of reviews from Mem, so I figure now would be a good time to say it's all much appreciated.**

* * *

"I didn't know you bought a laptop."

Akira looked up from his desk, a half-finished lockpick in one hand while a small notebook rested in the other. "I didn't. Well, I guess I did. It was broken, though. Had to get some bits and pieces in Akiba to bring it up to par."

"How'd you manage that?"

"I'unno. Morgana was impressed, too."

"I can see why...judging by the paint, it suffered through quite the ordeal."

Akira shrugged and set back to work, an errant screw sailing over his shoulder as he tinkered with the lockpick. Makoto was no expert by any means, but she was unsure as to how exactly the materials he was using could possibly create the sturdy lockpicks he always carried into Palaces. She did concede, however, that his habit was certainly justified; it was always exciting finding a treasure chest that was actually locked.

Rather than dwell on it further, Makoto opened the laptop and smoothed out the bed sheets she was sitting on, surprised to see that a website was already open when she signed in. "Tanaka's Shady Commodities…"

"Hm? Oh, that. Yeah, that was already running when I fixed the thing."

"Well, I hope you didn't purchase anything from this site. Everything about it oozes with...shadiness."

"You sure that's not just the site name bothering you?"

"Positive. Look at this...Tanaka. He looks like someone who might need to get his heart stolen."

"Calm down there, Queen. It's legitimate enough for me to have gotten what I ordered every time."

Makoto pouted and went back to browsing, leaving Akira to try and remember which step he was working on, idly weaving the unfinished lockpick between his fingers as he did so. His grip stiffened on the tool as he remembered, quickly closing his notebook and grabbing the materials he needed off his desk. Finishing the device only took a minute or two from there, and he tucked the finished product alongside the nine others he kept in an easy-to-conceal sleeve.

Another look at Makoto intently browsing the goods offered on the site made it easy for Akira to decide that further tool making could wait. Any other tool he made aside from the purpose of picking locks was more an exercise than anything.

His chair scratched against the floor as he stood, leaving his glasses on the desk as he sat down next to Makoto and leaned gently against her shoulder to see what she was looking for. She smiled and bumped her head against his affectionately before turning her back slightly to him. What may have been an attempt to allow Akira to better see the screen was taken instead as an invitation. Akira grinned, carefully pulling her against him and wrapping his arms securely around her waist. Makoto held the laptop aloft as Akira got comfortable, settling it on her thigh after he finished squirming around and hummed softly in satisfaction. Makoto scoffed lightly and reached up to tousle his hair. "You act more like a cat than Morgana."

"Woof."

He closed his eyes and rested his cheek on her shoulder, leaving Makoto to quietly browse. The 'quiet' part lasted for about five minutes. "Oh, a punching bag!"

"Huh?"

Makoto proudly showed him the screen of the laptop, giving Akira a full view of Tanaka and his trying-too-hard glasses alongside the information page for a punching bag. Sure enough, it was right there, next to the page for a Condenser Lens. The one she had singled out in particular was a rather gaudy one; it looked less like something to punch and more like a body pillow with a decal of Jack Frost. "Uh…"

"Ah, it's really cute, too! Hmm, but then I'd feel bad about punching it…"

"Think of it as an exercise of the mind, then."

"...Huh. That's not a bad idea."

Akira smiled again and listened to her list the ups and downs of buying the punching bag, his sight lazily drifting to the smooth skin of her neck. He briefly glanced at the image of the Jack Frost decal staring back at him from the laptop. _What are you trying to tell me, Jack Frost…?_

"I think I'll buy it when I get home - ah!"

Akira opened one eye at her squeak, humming softly but not moving his lips from her nape. "Well, that was an interesting noise."

"W-what are you doing?"

"Poorly veiled flirting."

She winced softly and reached forward to close his laptop, the task only becoming more difficult by his apparent fascination with her ear. Tanaka's incessant jingle cut off abruptly as the laptop fell asleep, so Makoto hastily set it aside as she felt his arms tighten possessively around her. Akira's voice was a husky murmur as he quietly asked, "Done with shopping?"

"It seems to to be that way, doesn't it?"

Makoto laughed as he grinned and tugged her back, falling against the mattress with a happy little smile as he hovered over her. As he leaned down to kiss her again, she shifted up to meet him in the middle only to stop when a metallic 'thunk' rose from the floor. Makoto gasped softly as she realized just what it was. "Y-your laptop…"

"I'll just fix it again."

Akira, unflappable as ever, flashed a cocky smirk at her and brushed his thumb along her cheek fondly. "Really, don't worry about it. Scratches add charm."

Makoto shook her head and smiled at his simple logic, tugging him down by his collar and murmuring, "I was under the impression you meant scars on people, not scratches on electronics."

"Semantics."

Akira leaned down to kiss her again, her breath quickening slightly in anticipation of it until they both froze upon hearing, "What's going on up there?! Are you two okay - oh. Damn it."

Sojiro had run up the stairs, a jar of coffee beans clutched tight in his hand to presumably throw at any intruder. Akira felt flattered in the back of his mind that the Boss would now use his prized beans rather than a mug to protect him. At the forefront, however, he blushed as hotly as Makoto did at that moment while Sojiro groaned. "Is this some weird kind of foreplay? Stop making so much noise when you do whatever the hell you're doing."

"We were - ow."

Akira rubbed his forehead as an expertly flicked coffee bean bounced off it, looking down at Makoto as she giggled at the sight. "Whatever. Keep the noise level low while the cafe's open. And you're paying for that bean."

"Yes, sir."

Sojiro nodded and stomped back downstairs, muttering something about how they were going to give him a 'damn heart attack'. Akira sighed, lying down next to Makoto and absently playing with her headband as she rested her head on his chest. "...So you really wanna buy that punching bag, huh?"

"I do. What, is it a bad idea?"

"Where are you planning on keeping it?"

"Here, of course."

"Oh, right, that - what?"

Makoto smirked in a manner that made Akira proud, sitting up and crawling over him to straddle his chest. The shine in her eyes plainly said that Queen was going to explain her reasoning. "It only makes sense, no? Sis would raise too many questions if I brought it home."

"And you want it _here_ because…?"

"Because I would have yet another reason to come see you?"

"As if you needed another."

Makoto smiled coyly, putting her hands on either side of his head in the exact same manner he had attempted a few minutes ago. "So true."

She ducked down to kiss his jaw, working her way to his cheek and finally his lips. Her legs straightened out along the bed as his arm circled around her back, pulling her down into a warm embrace as the two lost themselves in their own little world.

* * *

 **Howdy, hope ya liked.**

 **I have a few other chapters close to completion alongside this one, so those should be rolling out** _ **pretty**_ **soon.**

 **Till then! Also, if you have any idea you want put to words, feel free to let me know.**


	19. Session II

**Next chapter of ITF's coming along rather nicely for once, so I'll probably focus on that before I continue much else.**

* * *

 _Hee-ho-hee-ho-hee-ho-hee-hee-hee-hee-ho…hee-ho~_

Makoto gave her new punching bag a final jab and ducked back, hastily wiping some sweat off her brow and sneaking a quick glance at Akira. He was completely engrossed in his own workout, suspended by his legs from the beam in his room and doing crunches. The strain had led him to discard his shirt, so Makoto was treated to the sight of his upper body glistening with sweat as he exercised. The thought made her blush softly as she took a quick swig of water to distract herself from it. "That was quite the volley. Still mad about yesterday?"

Akira, still hanging upside down, crossed his arms and watched her fumble for a reply now that his focus was on her. "I, uh-...no. Well, a bit. I wouldn't blame you for venturing to say I'm absolutely livid."

"It had two giant revolvers, Makoto. I think being intimidated by that is natural."

"It's not that."

Akira raised an eyebrow, an odd picture given that he was still upside down. If he was concerned about blood going to his head, he didn't show it. "Okay, it might be. I think my biggest gripe is that we could barely put a dent in it."

"I don't think it's because we're too weak. It's more like that shadow's too strong."

Makoto sighed and conceded the point. "Be that as it may…"

Akira watched her mope and transition into glaring daggers at the Jack Frost bag. He spoke up again just as she stood, straightened out her clothes, and prepared to practice again. "Let's go to Mementos."

She stopped just short of raising her fist again, looking at Akira in mild confusion as she asked, "Mementos? I was under the impression we were going to resolve the requests we agreed on tomorrow."

"Oh, we are. I meant today for another training session. You look like you could blow off some steam."

Makoto looked down at her hands, tightening them into fists as she tried to suppress an excited little smile.

[- Mementos_Entrance -]

"Ohh, I always feel so much lighter whenever we come here."

Queen hummed happily and stretched her hands over her head, sighing in relief as she felt a satisfying pop in her back. Joker smiled and adjusted his gloves, looking down at his outfit with a particularly scrutinizing eye on his coat. With a nod, he took both it and his gloves off, tossing them onto one of the nearby ticket readers only for them to disappear in a gust of light. Queen watched him, intrigued, as he patted down his dark grey shirt and took a deep breath. "You said it yourself. Combat's some potent stress relief."

Queen smiled and flexed her fingers to test the padded gloves she was wearing. "Are you sure about this? I can be rather...brutal, as Skull would say."

"I can take a beating. Who won our other little match?"

"I did. Quite handily, if I might add."

"That you did. Now, let's make this a bit more interesting."

Joker raised his phone, thumb resting above a button starting a timer for twenty minutes. "Whoever concedes at the end of the minutes loses this round. I'm sure you know what the prize will be. Goes both ways, of course."

"Any other caveats I should be aware of?"

Joker cocked his head slightly, shaking his head with a grin after a moment of thought. "Nope. Just hit me really hard."

"I see."

Queen returned the expression, bouncing lightly on her feet before leaning down a bit and bringing her fists up to her face. "Are you ready?"

Joker spread his arms, rolling his neck and curling his fingers into fists. His stance quickly relaxed and he simply stood and slouched slightly, beckoning her over with a hand. "Yeah, I relish the thought of being beaten to a pulp. But the reward…"

Queen nodded curtly, hiding her own little grin at the prospect of having a temporary monopoly on one Akira Kurusu. "Tempting. Here I go."

She lunged forward, diving close to the floor and aiming a low kick at Joker's legs. Predictably, he dodged it, so she followed it up with a backhand from the same side, drawing her fist back for another quick jab that he managed to block. Queen affirmed her footing quickly enough to drive her opposite knee against his stomach, smiling into his eyes as he blocked it with his own. "Oh, are you fighting back this time?"

Joker smirked at that, pushing their legs down and stepping forward to force her off balance. Queen quickly recovered from her stumble, circling around him with her fists close to her chest. Joker grinned as she aimed a jab at his side, redirecting it with a swift palm and skirting around her. She stomped down on where she guessed his foot would land, turning her torso in a swinging hook. She quickly followed up what became a miss with an uppercut that visibly distorted the air following it. Joker made to find some way to stop her assault, unable to predict her movements when she ducked low, swaying left and right slightly only to throw out wide punches from random directions to keep him guessing. When it looked like she was moving for a straight, he braced, raising his hands to grab and attempt a throw to stop her.

Joker's eyes widened behind his mask as he misread Queen's attack, failing to stop her from throwing her arms around his back and throwing him heavily to the ground. As he tried to rise, she mounted his chest, forcing him down with one hand as the other tightened with strength. He ducked his head to the side as she struck, grabbing the other with a grin and throwing her over him.

They both rolled to their feet, gaining some distance to catch some breath. Joker breathed lightly, carefully observing Queen as she wiped some sweat off her forehead. "Feeling better?"

Queen blinked at the unexpected question, rolling her shoulders tentatively to find that, yes, she was feeling much less wound-up. She flashed a happy smile, eyes twinkling behind her mask as she nodded. "Much. How much time do we have left on the clock?"

Joker complied, pocketing his phone after he checked. "Seven minutes. That's all we can spare to play today, or...something along those lines."

"Another game reference?"

"You know me so well."

"Hmhm. Well, in that case, I'll end this quickly."

Joker smiled, cracking his knuckles and digging his feet into the floor. "Come on, then."

Queen swayed low, one arm dangling slightly before she shot forward, briefly disappearing before Joker's eyes. The only mark she left behind was a small cloud of dust from where her feet had scuffed the floor. What Joker saw first when she reappeared in front of him was not her face, but rather her fist intent on his. Her eyes flashed bright scarlet in anticipation of the blow landing, but Joker managed to skirt around it at the last second. The momentum from the attack allowed Queen to throw herself into a roll and hop back to her feet.

Joker took a knee wearily, rubbing the mark on his cheek and wincing softly. "C'mon, not the face."

Queen smiled slightly and waited for him to stand again by bouncing on the balls of her feet. "I figured you'd dodge with more...urgency once you knew my target."

She chose not to let him put together a snarky response, lunging forward again and stomping the ground where he was resting just a moment ago. Joker let out a nervous laugh as he sidestepped her shoulder, grabbing hold of her arm when she tried to clothesline him and twirling her around him. "I-if I didn't know any better, I'd think you really wanted to punch me!"

"Such a ludicrous thought."

Joker hastily backpedaled to dodge Queen's fists, flinching in surprise as his back hit one of the ticket readers leading into Mementos. _Uh-oh._

He threw himself to the side as Queen brought her fist crashing down on the reader, causing it to audibly crumple and bent at an awkward angle. Joker gaped at the poor machine, inwardly impressed but outwardly terrified. Queen watched him evenly, shaking out her hand as he chuckled and scratched his head. "I, uh...h-heh. Well, then."

"Do you concede?"

"Not a chance."

Joker rose, lunging forward and keeping low to the ground as he reached out and grabbed ahold of her shoulder. He let go, contrary to what Queen tried to guess, circling around and throwing an arm around her stomach. Before she could react or counter by throwing him again, his lips were on hers. He pulled away only slightly, whispering, "Mind games."

He kissed her again, cupping her chin and leaning over her. Queen felt a warmth in her chest as she recalled the last time they had sparred, humming softly as she hugged him to her, a plan hatching in her mind as their eyes slipped shut. They circled around each other until Joker had his back to the wall, hands travelling up her body as she insisted on taking charge of the heated kiss. Queen waited just until he relaxed against her, arms trying to wrap around her back before she pulled away, murmuring against his lips, "I'm going to throw you."

"Hm?"

She flashed him a playful smirk as she seized him by his collar and did just what she said, throwing him over her shoulder with a quick twist. He landed on his back with a surprised grunt, only able to watch in a daze as she straddled his chest and pointed her fist at his face. "Yield. Unless I _do_ need to hurt that handsome face."

Joker gulped nervously at the cheeky shine in her eyes as she cooed at him, a thrill running down his spine despite being handily defeated. "Okay, okay. It's one for one."

"More like two-zero."

Queen smiled, satisfied, standing and offering a hand. He took it, hauling himself up more of his own strength than hers, and dusted himself off. "Let's head back."

Joker smiled, holding his phone in one hand just as the timer went off, the other reaching for her hand. Queen cried out in surprise as he suddenly tugged her back, landing against his chest and blinking quickly in surprise. "What are you - mm..."

Joker pulled away from her lips the slightest fraction, smiling gently pressing his forehead to hers. Their masks disappeared respectively to allow the contact, allowing Akira full view of her crimson eyes shining with newfound hunger. Rather than speak, he instead kissed her again, tugging her body against his. Makoto arched her back with pleasure, squeaking in surprise as he took her attempt to catch a breath to slip his tongue into her mouth. Her momentary protest quickly died in her throat, melting into a moan as she responded in kind, her hands grabbing handfuls of his shirt while, at the same time, one of her legs drew shyly against his own.

Makoto, to Akira's surprise, was the one to break the kiss, drawing back just enough to look at his equally disheveled appearance as she panted lightly for breath. After a heated pause, she rested her head against his shoulder, muttering, "That's cheating…"

"That sounds familiar."

They shared a breathless laugh as Akira pulled his phone out and pressed the Metaverse tile, thereby ending the day's sparring session. There was a small jolt as they were sent back to Shibuya station, happenstance placing them in a nook near the stairway into the underground. Makoto remained in Akira's embrace, squeezing herself closer and nuzzling lovingly against him as he smiled and kissed her head. "We should head home soon. People are starting to stare."

"Let them. I'm tired."

Akira chuckled and hugged her tight, rocking to and fro ever so slightly as he tried to quell the fluttering feeling in his chest. "Fair enough."

[- The Next Day_After School -]

"All ri~ght! Time to - whoa, what the eff?"

Joker looked up from his phone at whatever had stopped Skull short, choking out a weak sound of surprise at exactly what it was. The ticket reader that he had scuffled with Queen on was still completely wrecked, rooted in place but still bent at an angle with a visible indentation on the top. Queen had a similar reaction, blushing to herself and hiding behind Joker as Skull whirled around. "You seein' this?! It's like someone was on the warpath or something!"

He ran over to the reader as the rest of the group made their way over at their own pace to inspect the damage. Yusuke in particular was staring at the miniature crater waiting just a few feet away from the ruined machine. "...I don't believe that was there before…"

* * *

 **He-hey, this was a fun one. Hope you agree, so let me know if you feel like it. As I said already, my next ITF chapter comes first, but I have a bunch of incomplete chapters for both After and Scattered Hours just waiting for me to attend to, topped off by a separate short story for Souji/Naoto. It'll be fun.**

 **So look forward to all of that. Or some of that, whatever you prefer. Until then, I'll be seein' ya.**


	20. Resolve

**MAJOR spoilers for December.**

 **I feel like more physical interaction between Akira and the cast could have some scenes a lot more meaningful. One such instance is one I will now demonstrate.**

 **Also, hey. I was taking a break for a tick, but I have returned to you all.**

 **Eeeeeenjoy!**

* * *

Joker stood a little straighter as he neared what he assumed to be Queen's cell. The light blue glow from the room she was presumably waiting in was a welcome difference from the eerie calm mixed with the unsettling darkness. He opened his mouth to call to her through the bars, only to find that there was no such obstacle.

 _What the-...the door's open?_

"Queen?"

No answer. Makoto was simply staring off into space, one hand tightly clutching her arm as she closed her eyes in thought. "...Makoto?"

He stepped inside the cell, gently patting Makoto's cheek after pocketing his gloves. "Metaverse to Makoto. Awaken, my love, all that."

Her head snapped up at the contact, turning to stare at Joker as if in disbelief that he was even standing in front of her. He took off his mask, tossing it over his shoulder to dissolve into a spark of light, and smiled. "Hey - oof!"

Akira stumbled back as she pounced on him, arms around his shoulders as she nuzzled shamelessly past the collar of his coat and into his neck. As such, her words were muffled, but Akira couldn't help but smile at what they were. "You're safe...what a relief!"

"Arguably, that's what I should be saying. Seeing you disappear like that took a few years off my life."

Akira returned the hug firmly, letting one hand rest on her hair as the other wound around her back to keep her close. "I'm glad you're okay."

Makoto smiled, her arms tightening a bit around him before she realized that something felt off. Her fingers brushed against the hardy material of his jacket as she murmured, "You're in your Phantom Thief attire...and I'm back in my regular clothes?"

Makoto pulled away but kept her hands on his shoulders, offering a sad little smile at Akira as he hesitated from losing her embrace. Her sight flicked back down at her clothes, her voice but a whisper as she pondered, "Could this mean that the will of rebellion is no longer within me?"

They both flinched as the cell door suddenly slammed shut, effectively trapping both of them inside. Akira grabbed one of the bars, giving it a good shake only to find out that it definitely wasn't going to budge with raw power. "...Crap."

"W-what just happened? Is that bad?"

"Well, we're both locked in here now. It's a little troubling."

He reached into his pocket and tossed a lockpick in the air, crouching in front of the door and deftly catching it as he set to work undoing the clearly magical lock. "Let me see what I can do."

Makoto hovered around him worriedly as light metal clicks echoed through the air, stopping and jumping back to act like she wasn't doing anything when he looked over his shoulder and smirked lightly. "Talk to me. It'll help my focus."

Makoto watched him work on the door, moving beside him to sit against the door with an audible sigh. "We have to fight that Holy Grail again...right?"

"That we do."

Akira narrowed his eyes at the lock and twisted his hand slightly, nodding to himself as he heard a jangle of metal. "You're worried."

"Are you not? Could you imagine defeating something like that?"

"What can I say? I'm a dreamer."

"...It has the support of the masses, and with it, a near infinite amount of power. No matter which way I approach the problem in my mind, nothing points to our victory."

"I'm gonna shoot it in the face."

Something in Makoto snapped, and she glared down at Akira to growl, "Do you always have to bluster like that? It's almost impossible to tell what you're truly thinking!"

Akira paused what he was doing, looking up at Makoto as she covered her mouth with a hand in shock of what she had said. "I-I'm so sorry."

He watched her carefully for another moment, grunting noncommittally as he turned his attention back to the lock. Makoto wrung her hands, trying to look anywhere but Akira as an uncomfortable silence settled in the cell. The door remained locked, and, even if Makoto found a way to open it, Akira was still waiting in front of it. A lump in her throat stifled anything she might have tried to say until she heard him murmur, "I'm terrified."

She looked down at him as he spoke again, albeit more quietly than she was used to hearing. "Huh?"

"I'm scared, Makoto. Quaking in my boots. When I saw that glorified cup fix all the damage we dealt to it, I felt myself waver. When I saw you disappear like that, it felt like something was being torn out of my chest. Is that what you want to hear?"

The lockpick he was using snapped in his hand, and he looked at it glumly before letting the pieces fall to the floor and standing. He straightened out his jacket as he turned to face Makoto, slowly walking forward as his grey eyes hardened into an uncharacteristic steel. Makoto, unsure and unsettled by his outward cold, found herself backing away until her back hit the wall and she gasped in surprise. Akira stopped a foot short of where she stood, gazing evenly at her until he leaned forward to rest his forehead on her shoulder. The sigh that followed was soft from his apparent exhaustion and shaky from his evident fear. "...I don't know what's gonna happen when we get out of here. The only thing I can hold onto at this point is that I'm going back out there no matter what."

Makoto remained silent, stunned by the flood of raw honesty as Akira stared dully at the floor. "...This is usually the part where I would tell you everything's going to be fine, and I'm gonna get Ryuji and throw an awesome Christmas party, but...I can't. And I'm sorry."

Makoto quietly wrapped her arms around his shoulders, squeezing him comfortingly as he let go of another shuddering sigh. He felt rather than saw a flash of light, the grip on him growing stronger as he leaned away to see his Queen gazing back at him. She pursed her lips slightly as if she meant to say something, instead choosing to smile and say, "Ryuji would just make you do everything."

Akira grinned, a telltale shine returning to his eye and his mask swirling back over his face. "You know me. Have to make it seem like he's contributing, y'know."

"I know."

Queen looked at the cell door and felt her shoulders sag a bit, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. " I'm okay. My resolve was shaken, but it's stronger now."

"You sure you're good? Last time we had issues with certain obstacles, you tore up a good chunk of Mementos."

"You actively encouraged that behavior."

"That I did. When life gives you lemons…"

"Burn its house down? With the lemons?"

Joker nudged the cell door open with his foot and smirked at the development, turning to Queen and breathing, "Damn, I love you."

Queen blushed and punched his shoulder as she strode out of the cell, throwing the door closed with a satisfied smile after Joker followed her. "Ah, that was more cathartic than I imagined. Shall we go?"

Joker cocked his head to the side until he felt a pop in his neck, groaning softly and nodding. "Mhm. The others are waiting over yonder."

He made to set off in the direction he mentioned only to be pulled back by Queen, who latched onto his arm briefly and leaned up to his ear. What he heard her whisper softly put a grin on his face and nursed the ever-growing flame in his heart. He hopped into a jog to keep pace with Queen's brisk, but confident, walk, playfully throwing her scarf over her head in a silent challenge to a race. After getting over her initial surprise, Queen smiled, breaking into a run as her Joker laughed and dashed off.

* * *

 **It's been a minute, so forgive me for any quality drops. Not that I was the gold standard before but he-hey! I am glad to be back, flaws and all!**

 **So, about the whole door thing…**

 ***ding* LET ME EXPLAIN.**

 **It can be said that the door was open in the first place because Makoto had pretty much opened up her heart to Akira in the first place before the whole dilemma. When the reality of being defeated hit her, that's when the door actually shuts, with Akira being trapped as coincidental problem. From there, you know...developments.**

 **Someone else would probably be able to explain this better. Unfortunately, that's not me. Rrrregardless, I hope you enjoyed. I'll be publishing something soon. No guarantee on what that'll be because I don't even know!**

 **But! Till next time. Thanks for reading, as always.**


	21. Build-Up

**Maximum over-spoilers for mid-December.**

 **Short fare for today. Or rather, tonight, as per usual. Shockingly, I've hit a slight roadblock with the new chapter of ITF, but as of this writing I think I've found a way around that. Till then, enjoy this…whatever it is.**

 **Fair warning, references abound.**

* * *

"I wouldn't expect the ignorant masses of this country to understand…thus, I will offer proof."

Shadow Shido threw off his regal attire, revealing a muscular physique that belied the stifling garments. Joker raised an eyebrow at the sight even as he heard Futaba sputter and mutter something about this being straight out of a game she had played. "By forcefully crushing the Phantom Thieves!"

Joker whistled lightly as Shido reared back, tensing ever so slightly as the tyrant rushed him with a fist ready to strike. He dodged the heavy blow and leapt onto his shoulder, twirling lightly on his fingers in a wild handstand similar to how he would prepare to rip a shadow's mask off. Instead, he used the momentum to swing his knee straight into Shido's face, sending him stumbling back as Joker landed on his feet with a light tap.

Shido stumbled back several paces, tightening his jaw and forcing a grin after a moment. Joker stared at the titan briefly before returning the expression and speaking. "Alright...Masayoshi Shido, it's obvious that your powers are beyond even the highest category of scrubs we've taken down."

Joker chuckled under his breath and bowed his head, spreading his arms wide as the tails of his coat fluttered about dramatically. "Releasing Persona Restriction Systems, three...two...one."

Skull blinked a few times, standing straighter as he tried to figure out whatever his friend his up to. "...What is he doing?"

" _Ooh…"_

Queen was equally nonplussed, stance relaxing the slightest fraction as she watched Joker turn two fingers upward while the other hand pointed down, meeting them in front of his eyes as the familiar blue flame of a Persona rose around him. "Approval of situation G recognized; commencing the Phantom Invocation."

" _Yooo, Joker! A man after my own heart!"_

"Uhh, didn't he already-"

" _Shut up, Skull, he's doing a thing!"_

Joker simply smirked and continued. "Ability restrictions lifted for limited use until the enemy has been rendered _silent_."

" _Until the enemy has been rendered silent! Whoo~!"_

Oracle's cheers devolved into squeals as Joker's smirk curled into a full-on grin, the sound of breaking glass cutting the air to signify the arrival of Arsene. Shido hesitated at the sight of the maniacal grin decorating the Persona's mask, his face tightening angrily as he let out a snarl. "What the hell is that-"

His eyes widened in shock as Joker began to slowly walk forward, Arsene remaining floating in the air with that same grin as he spread his wings wide. Fear bit at Shido's mind and focus as he stared at the Persona, the wings and its cloak blending into a dizzying mix of blood red and black as Joker melted away from sight. Shido's poise faltered for a critical moment, the building terror in his gut taking over; he bit back a shout as Arsene's shadow threatened to swallow him, ready to run when he heard that damn _kid's_ voice murmuring down at him. "Seems I was mistaken. You're far below our other targets. Like...worse than Kamoshida. And that's saying something."

"You _brat_!"

Shido's rage overtook any other emotion as he wrenched his arm up to force Joker off his shoulder. The Thief leapt from his perch and tumbled through the air, landing into a crouch as he called off Arsene with a snap. A pistol appeared in his hand from the depths of his jacket, levelling it at Shido with a calm smile.

* * *

 **YMMV, but I thought this was fun to write. If you got the reference, thanks for that.**

 **I swear, there's more fluff between Futaba and Akira here than Makoto. I figured this chapter would have a better place here because it's fairly short.**

 **Hope you enjoyed. Something more substantial will be out soon. Till then!**

 **Also because I can't state it enough, check out LeafyDream. Got some good stories under his belt, don'tcha know.**


	22. Spookies

**RIP Visceral Games. Your games were some of my favorites.**

 **Hey again. Enjoy the read, if you please.**

* * *

"Hey, there she is!"

Makoto couldn't help but smile at the cheer in Akira's voice as she made her way up the stairs leading to his room, only mildly surprised by Futaba watching the game he was playing with rapt attention. "I see you wasted no time with the new system."

Futaba nodded enthusiastically, gesturing for her to take a look at the TV. "How did you afford one of these?! I've been bugging Sojiro to get me one for months!"

Makoto laughed, carefully setting down the large tray Sojiro had given her next to where Akira kept his school bag. "Boss made hot chocolate for us because of the rain. Have some before it gets cold."

"Whoo! Akira, you've never had this before, you have to try some!"

"Sure."

Makoto heard someone shout in anger through some sort of filter, a strange blasting noise bursting from the TV before Akira paused the game and stood. Futaba had already seized her drink and bounded back to her seat, all without spilling a drop, leaving Akira to head to the table as Makoto stirred some of the leftover cocoa until it dissolved. "Hey, Makoto."

Makoto smiled distractedly and finished what she was doing just before Akira looped an arm around her waist. "Hello, Akira."

She accepted a kiss in what was quickly becoming a very welcome habit, stopping him from taking it further with a balled fist under his chin. "Couldn't that have waited until after I had something to drink?"

"Didn't want chocolate to get in the way."

"Bleeeh. Can you two save it for when you're alone?"

Akira chuckled and picked up his mug, carrying it back to his seat. Rather than sit again, he set the mug down and walked to his desk, fishing out a folding chair and setting it up next to his chair. "Your throne."

"Thanks."

"C'mon, let's go, let's do this!"

Futaba bounced in her seat while still keeping her drink stable, pointing insistently at the TV as Akira sat down. Makoto followed suit and rested her head on his shoulder. "What are you playing?"

"Silent Space. Think the subtitle was 'Psycho Biohazard', or something. Mechanic stuck on a space station infested with weird alien zombie things."

"Interesting. Although...the only thing scary about now seems to be that name….How far along are we?"

"Eh, a few chapters. Stick around, it's getting good."

Makoto mused to herself about how the avatar's suit looked far more advanced than she expected for someone who was simply an engineer. Watching him enter combat simply gave her more fuel to comment on. "...That laser is standard issue for mechanics?"

"Well, at first it was just a flashlight. Then he found a mini mining laser and, uh...put 'em together."

"With duct tape, or…?"

"Yeah! Guess you had to be there."

Makoto smiled at Futaba's strange boast, taking a slow sip of her cocoa. "Ah, I got another suit blueprint."

"Is that the Military Suit?! Dude, find a store!"

"You found a blueprint for military hardware lying around in a space subway station?"

"Yeah."

"Okay."

Akira found a store and redeemed the blueprint; the new suit appeared in the grid-based shop inventory with a sleek 'NEW' sign flashing on its tile. "Get it! Show Makoto how future mechanics put their suits on!"

Amidst a scarcely suppressed laugh, Akira complied. Makoto stared at the TV as the store's display collapsed and folded away, allowing the player character to step straight inside as the entire store kiosk closed around him. A bright light streamed forth from the store-turned-dressing-room, followed closely by a loud hiss and a burst of steam. Finally, the alleged mechanic stepped out, clad in a new, advanced suit that he briefly looked over before a sleek helmet closed over his face. "...Wow."

"Right?! I need this!"

"It would be nice…"

Akira moved on, wandering through derelict hallways that had clearly seen some sort of abuse. He had his avatar step into an elevator that was still functional, pressing the holographic button to take him to the top floor. "Are these the offices?"

"Looks like it."

"Ohoho…"

Akira took a second as the elevator doors opened again to glance at Futaba. "W-what?"

"You'll see."

Makoto had silently been savoring her cocoa as she watched Akira's exploring, taking a closer look at the screen and pointing something out. "That door has a strange lock."

"I can unlock them with these little, uh…" Akira opened his inventory and pointed a cursor at the picture of a small widget with a counter reading '2' next to it. "...things."

"How descriptive."

"Quiet, you."

Akira used a widget to open the door, cautiously stepping inside to find that the office was empty. "Have I been duped?"

Futaba choked down her next sip of cocoa and hastily set the mug down when she saw exactly where Akira's avatar was. "This is it! If I remember right, there should be a trap right about...here."

"And the good news just keeps coming..."

Akira slowly stepped around the desk, turning the character to face the silent form on the floor. "Yeah! Ye-ye-yeah! That one turns into a zombie when you leave! He got me good the first time I played."

"Alright, then."

Akira kept his sight on the body as he turned the character's back to the door, walking backwards to keep his focus on the supposed zombie trap. Suddenly, a grotesque figure burst out of a nearby ceiling vent, tackling Akira's avatar to the ground with a guttural screech.

Akira didn't scream; rather, he jumped in his seat and made a strange sputtering noise as the controller almost fell out of his hands. His companions, however...

"WAH!"

"AAH!"

Makoto's chair creaked in protest as she forced it backwards in her fright, while Futaba quickly latched onto Akira's arm for safety. Akira, despite the pint-sized handicap, quickly pulled himself together, dispatching the enemy before his health dropped any further. His character stumbled to his feet, bewildered, and gave the fallen foe a final punt that sent it into the office he had just exited.

Akira paused the game then, setting the controller on the ground and taking a deep, shaky breath. He glanced back at Makoto, still holding her breath in fear until he gestured for her to come forward again. He smiled gently at her as she hesitantly complied, turning his attention to Futaba, who was still attached to his arm and visibly terrified. His free hand rose to carefully pat her head, using the hand she was holding to lace their fingers together briefly. "You missed the best part."

"W-what?"

Akira pointed at the TV with his yet-to-be-released hand, leading Futaba to look at how their unexpected assailant was draped almost comically one of the chairs lying around. She stared blankly at the sight before blinking rapidly and managing a weak little laugh. "Ahaha...oh, my immersion."

Akira grinned and tousled her hair, just as Makoto sat back down next to him. Without missing a beat, he put his arm around her shoulder and pulled them close for a hug. "This is the best."

"I don't find being scared out of my wits very fun."

"You'll come around. And Futaba?"

"Uh oh. What?"

"You lied."

"I did not!"

"Look at the menu, Mechanic Man wrote a note on it."

" _He_ did not!"

Makoto watched the two bicker with a small smile, raising the mug of cooling cocoa to her lips and taking a small sip.

* * *

 **Has it really been that long since I updated this? Sheesh. Should have another chapter out relatively soon.**

 **Thanks for reading. Have a good one, till next time.**


	23. Hatsuyume

**Heeeey, been a while. At least, for those of you who read this story exclusively. Let's welcome a new year together.**

* * *

"Ever hear of Hatsuyume?"

Makoto had to admit in some small part of her mind that Akira wouldn't let her go to sleep that easily. The best response she could muster as she turned her head to gaze at him was, "Mm…?"

Akira smiled and brushed some hair off her cheek, letting his thumb linger to gently stroke her skin. "The first dream of the new year. I almost forgot to ask you about it."

Makoto couldn't find it in her to be mad at him. Instead, she scooted closer and looped her arms around his shoulders. "Mmf, I'm sure I have. Tell me anyway."

Akira chuckled and pulled her snugly against him, letting her rest her head against his chest and throw her legs over his. "Serenade me with your dulcet tones."

"Well, at least you know I like to hear my own voice."

They shared a little laugh at that before Akira continued. "So yeah, first dream. It's good luck to dream of Mt. Fuji, a hawk, or an eggplant. And I already dream of you pretty often, so...lucky me."

Makoto scoffed, shifting to straddle his thigh and fixing him with a lazy stare. "Are you calling me an eggplant?"

"Well, you're good for me. Always have that shine in your eye…"

Makoto grinned and sat back down, tracing lazy circles on his chest with her finger as she countered, "They're also rumored to cause insanity. Do I drive you crazy?"

Akira took her hand in his own, gently pulling her close enough to press a light kiss to her forehead. The leisurely purr in her tone as she posed her question made his heart skip a beat, but there was no way he would tell her that.

"I was thinking more along the lines of a hawk," He said, purposefully dropping the half-serious question. "Smart, tough as nails. Ooh, and who can forget that glare - ow, haha!"

Makoto's elbow dug into Akira's stomach as she turned and sat back against him, letting out a small, happy sigh as she felt his arms circle around her. She bit back a gasp as she felt him dot a kiss along her nape, whispering, true to form, about something completely unrelated. "We should go for hatsumōde in the morning."

Makoto figured he would keep going if she played along, if the way he was working his way to her ear was any indication. "Can we draw omikuji?"

"Sure. For now though…"

Makoto smiled, planting a kiss on his hand in turn. "Mhm...something about this being _so_ much more interesting, no?"

"You read my mind. It's a new year, have to make some resolutions."

She giggled happily as he pressed her down into the sheets, taking her chin between his fingers and finally giving her the kiss that she was waiting for. "What's the first?"

"Take you to Destinyland again."

She laughed, once again unsurprised by his purposefully poor sense of humor. "That's awful."

"For a resolution? Maybe."

Makoto hooked her leg around his side and forced their positions around, leaving Akira stunned into momentary silence as she sat on his chest with a self-satisfied smirk. "Let's hear number two."

"I'll teach you how to make better coffee than that machine I saw you looking at."

"Oh, how sweet."

Akira planted his hands on her thighs and flipped her onto her back, adding another step to their little fight for the best position. "I have one more. Still working on the details, but I think you'll like this one."

"Enlighten me."

Akira smiled as he loomed over her, ducking down to lift her top slightly and kiss her stomach. Makoto shivered at the contact, only to feel her face heat up dramatically when she heard him murmur, "I want to love you as much as humanly possible throughout this new year. And the next. And the one after that."

"That's a lot of love."

"Mhm."

Akira caught her hand as she tried to grab his hair, kissing the back and gently pinning it to the bed. He let it go right afterward, but the gauntlet was thrown. Makoto decided to play her trump card to even the scales. She smiled, warmly, and said, "I love you."

Akira faked a groan and reached over to pinch her cheeks playfully. "See, it's not fair when you say it. Now I feel like I can do anything, you crazy, killer Queen."

Makoto grinned and batted his hands away, pulling him down and locking her legs around him. She sealed the contact with a kiss, only breaking it to chirp, "I can't help it, I _love~_ you."

"Makoto."

"So much love."

"Makoto."

"Yeees, love?"

"I love you, too."

* * *

 **Hm, people probably don't move around this much in bed when talking 'bout stuff like this. OR maybe they do. I dunno.** **Ah, and Makoto may very well be OOC. I prefer to say it's further in their relationship. Character development.**

 **On another note, I'll be sticking with Akira as a name for...well, Akira. Ren is fine. Amamiya? Not so much. If Ren becomes the canon name, that's cool. Souji isn't the canon name and that's fine by me. That just means these characters are mine. I'm attached, you see.**

 **Been around for almost three years. Eesh. When I think about it, I started writing because I had read pretty much _every story_ that had Souji/Naoto as the main pairing. I was on a tear for Persona then, so I just...really wanted to add to the archive. I gathered up my guts, and I published. Now I'm here.**

 **It's been fun. I'm not the best nor the most consistent, but I write what I enjoy, and I hope you, as a reader, do as well.**

 **Anyway. Enjoy the start of the new year, yeah? See ya soon.**


	24. All in Good Fun

**Y'know...I hate having unfinished stories in my Docs. It's like leaving a sentence with no proper punctuation. However, combine that with writer's block and you have a recipe for disaster. It makes me feel bad, too, when I see people are still favoriting this story even while I've been gone. Much appreciated!**

 **I have a one-off for Souji/Naoto in the works, so let's hold hands and hope that doesn't take an eternity to publish. For now, enjoy this.**

* * *

"Oi~, Akira!"

Futaba burst into Leblanc, willfully ignoring Sojiro's groan of protest that she was bothering his customers. Rather than dally, she simply bolted up to her key item's attic-turned-bedroom and skirted dramatically around Morgana's usual perch. She stumbled and fell into a heap on the bean bag Akira had strategically placed since the last incident. "Futaba. Fancy meeting you here."

"Heyo. What're you up to this time?"

"Making tools. Remember, we're heading into Mementos tomorrow."

"You don't even use any of those. All you bring in your kit are the billion lockpicks you have tucked away."

"It's good practice. I'm at the point where I can make five different tools in one sitting - these things take time, Futaba."

"Uh huh, I'm sure."

Futaba sat up long enough to kick her boots next to Akira's big box of whatevers, reaching over and just barely reaching the power button of his game console. Akira plucked the remote off his desk and turned on the TV, tossing it to Futaba when she turned to him with a grin and an outstretched hand. "Thanks."

"Mhm. Now let me finish this and we can play that new game Makoto bought you."

"I'll just install it in the background."

"You do that."

The impromptu plan lasted about fifteen minutes. "Akira~, play with me!"

"Nay.."

Futaba groaned, flopping onto her back next to Akira's chair and kicking her feet up onto his lap. "Akira~!"

"Futaba, if I finish this now, we'll have more time to play later. Also, I kinda need my lap."

"No, you don't. You're making infiltration tools. With your big, dumb man hands."

"I might need to scoot over. With my big, dumb man feet."

"Just take me with you."

"No. You'll bump your head, and that would be terrible."

"C'mon, you polished the floor to a mirror sheen! I can eat dinner off this floor."

"But-"

"But I wouldn't be able to because you'd ruin it and give me a plate."

"Sorry."

"Yea, you better be."

Akira smiled to himself as Futaba broke out into a fit of giggles, picking up one of his memos for elemental bombs as he reached down with his other hand to tickle Futaba's toes. "Whoa - hey!"

"Hmm?"

Futaba squealed and locked her heels around his hand, grinning triumphantly at her knockoff of the move she saw in Makoto's new game. "Gotcha! Now you can't tickle me _or_ finish the tools you never use!"

She paused when he simply turned back to his desk, about to object to being plainly ignored when he looked down at her and lifted something. "You were saying?"

Akira tossed up a white ball, catching and holding it where Futaba could see the faint condensation on the surface. "You have magic hands."

"So I've been told."

"By who?"

Akira simply spared her a smirk of his own as he set the bomb down, leaving the girl to connect the dots. "Oh, eww."

He laughed openly at that, setting the bomb down and standing from his desk. He leaned down and offered both his arms to help Futaba up. "...Hungry."

"I know, me too. I'll treat you to something after I'm done here. Maybe we can sneak past Sojiro when he's not looking."

"Nah. He already spotted me on the way in."

Akira chuckled and shook his head. "And here I thought you were learning about infiltration."

"Makoto's usual game plan usually involves smashing over sneaking."

"Isn't that weird? She helps with our planning, but when the mask goes on - wild."

"I heard that."

Akira looked up from the orb chilling his hand to see Makoto walking up the stairs wearing a expression torn between amusement and confusion. Balance neatly on her hand was a tray laden with a plate of cookies and three mugs of what was most certainly coffee. "Boss instructed me to take these up. His reasoning was that you were busy and Futaba-chan was too lazy."

Akira simply smirked down at Futaba. "Looks like Makoto's not the only one who needs to work on their sneaky peeky skills."

"No, you."

"I feel like I'm missing a piece of this conversation."

Makoto set the tray on top of Akira's desk and passed him a mug, leaning down and pulling Futaba up to sit more comfortably on the bean bag. "Thaaaanks, Makoto."

"Mm. Sit up when you eat these, okay?"

The council president leaned on the desk and finally picked up her mug, reaching down with her free hand to pluck up Akira's case of lockpicks. "...You never use any of these."

"That's twice now that someone dissed my gizmos and gadgets galore. It's a workout, okay? For the mind. O-or something. And I totally use the lockpicks."

"You probably should've started with that."

"I don't need you to critique my personal method of enunciation, Futaba."

"Ooh, pulling out the big guns. Must've cut ya deep there."

Makoto smiled and set down the case. Meanwhile, Akira set down a screwdriver and looked up at his wall, which had become home to many of the airsoft guns he had bought from Untouchable. Sojiro had simply given the varied arsenal a wary look but didn't object to when Akira started hanging them up. Akira picked up the Tkachev II and tested its feel in his hand. It felt heavy, familiar with how long he had been using it, but in reality it was still a very high-quality plastic model firearm. He smiled softly and took a sip of coffee, feeling inspiration spread through him as he did. "...Makoto. Futaba."

"Yes?"

"Heyo."

"I think I know what to do with all these items."

Akira reached under his desk and pulled out a footlocker which, upon kicking it open, revealed an array of elemental bombs. The ice one he completed prior was dropped unceremoniously into the locker in favor of him pulling out a vaguely red ball instead. Rather than a weapon, it looked a weirdly warm rubber ball. Without warning, he suddenly wound back and hurled the ball at the Jack Frost punching bag sitting just next to his souvenir shelf. It burst into a wisp of vibrant red for a scant second, leaving the punching bag simply reeling from the impact a moment later.

Makoto, of course, reacted with abject horror, covering her mouth with her hands and letting out a dramatic and needlessly sarcastic, "Frosty-kun, no…"

Futaba was able to snap out of her stunned silence when Makoto failed to hold back her giggles at just how silly that sounded. Rather than comment, Futaba instead chose to slap Akira's shin as a command to move and grabbed the white ball out of the foot locker. "What'd you call this one?"

"Freeze Spray."

"It's a grenade, though."

"Yeah, well...when it goes boom, uh...it'll be spraying, they'll be praying. 'Cause it's super cold."

"... _Awesome_."

Futaba, all without moving from her spot on the bean bag, tossed the glorified snowball at Jack Frost. This time, it burst into a cloud of sparkling white dust, as if she had thrown a snowball. The Jack Frost mural seemed to glow happily at this prospect. Makoto smiled at the sight before noticing that both Akira and Futaba were staring at her with expressions that could only be described as predatory. "Makoto~..."

"Um…"

Akira simply lifted his locker onto the desk and motioned to the number of weapons inside. "Your turn."

[- - -]

Sojiro heaved a sigh as he shut the door behind the last guest of the day, relished the sense of relief washing over him as he flipped the sign on the door to 'CLOSED'. Just before he could take a seat at the bar and watch TV channels he actually liked when he heard a muffled _BOOM_ rattle the entire building. He briefly considered grabbing his trusty mauling mug until he heard an ecstatic squeal. That was enough for him to relent and instead rush up the stairs.

The sight that greeted him was rather...unexpected. Akira, Makoto, and Futaba were all sprawled out on the floor and utterly roaring with laughter. The room, however, was far more bizarre. The walls, the floor, even the ceiling was awash in vivid bursts of red, white, green, and an amalgam of so many more colors that it almost made Sojiro's eyes hurt. "..."

Finally, Sojiro smiled and walked back down to the cafe. "Painting the room like it's avant garde. Buncha goofballs, all of 'em."

The elder gentleman simply chuckled and headed outside to light up a cigarette.

* * *

 **I'm rusty and I'm paranoid. If you feel like humoring me and my attempts, leave a review if you feel like. Thanks for reading. I'm gonna get out of this rut, I promise, just give me a bit. I mean, a bit more than you already have, ehehe.**

 **Till next time, Zanmat0 signing out.**


	25. True III

**This sat about halfway done for a while. Had a burst of inspiration to finish this up (much appreciated, Nicojd)!**

* * *

"Alright. Now that we're all well rested and ready to tackle a new day…"

Akira bit back a smile as Makoto snorted at his words, masking the noise with a leisurely sip of coffee. "I think we should figure out our next destination."

The team had gathered outside their latest hotel, scattered about the area but within earshot of their leader. Akira was sitting on a bench near where Makoto parked the van, with Futaba lying on her back with her legs on his shoulder and scanning some tourist pamphlets she had swiped. Makoto quietly savored her coffee on his other side. "I, for one, want to go to Hakone."

"Hakone? Isn't that near Mount Fuji?"

"Mhm. More importantly, though, are these."

He stood and plucked one of Futuba's many pamphlets she had procured out of her hand with a dexterity only he could manage, pressing it down on the hood of the van without looking and declaring, "The hot springs."

Futaba bounced to his side after being robbed of her footrest, tossing the rest of her findings into the trunk of the van. "That was very rude of you, sir."

"Whoops."

Ryuji, for once, looked thoughtful. "Oh, I've heard o' these. Heheh, I knew you'd be for this kinda thing. Well, alright, I'm in."

He slammed his hand down on the leaflet ceremoniously, as if that was crucial to taking a vote. Akira grinned and clapped his friend on the shoulder, looking to the rest of the group with twinkling eyes. It took Makoto more willpower than she expected not to laugh at how purely enthusiastic he was about going. "We went in the opposite direction of Hakone when we left Yongen-Jaya, you know?"

Akira's only response to Makoto's observation was a firm nod. Finally, she smiled and placed her hand on the brochure, close enough to brush her fingers against Akira's. "I can't say no to those eyes. Three for Hakone."

Futaba shrugged. "It's on the page. Why not? It's not like we're in a hurry to go anywhere else."

She gave a catlike smile and scooted close enough to place her hand on the pamphlet. "Four for Hakone!"

Yusuke seemed to be lost in thought, staring at a picture of Hakone Shrine, situated above a bundle of text detailing the enshrined kami. "Konohana Sakuya...I feel as if I have heard that name before…"

Futaba snickered to herself and muttered, "Do I hear five?"

Yusuke still looked conflicted about the decision for reasons only privy to himself; Akira moved quickly to him, giving Futaba a pat on the head in passing. Yusuke, to his credit, didn't react outwardly when he felt a hand on his shoulder and a voice speak softly - but with a tone that would charm the birds out of their nests. "...Yusuke."

"Akira."

"Hear me out on this."

"Okay."

"I'm going to ask you one question."

"I understand."

"Have you ever heard of Hakone's black ice cream?"

A fifth hand smacked the pamphlet as soon as the two magic words left Akira's mouth. "Five for Hakone!"

It was telling of Yusuke's desire for new ice cream that his hand hitting the hood was enough to rock the car slightly. Haru smiled at the sight and laced her hands together. "I agree with Futaba-chan. Why not?"

She joined the circle of hands on the paper, looking up to smile all too serenely at Ann. "Six for Hakone."

Ann floundered as she felt the rest of the group's eyes on her, desperately looking to Morgana for help. The cat simply stared for a moment then did the closest thing to a shrug that he could manage. "I'm just the repair-cat, Milady. Seven for Hakone, I guess."

Ann knew defeat was all but guaranteed. Although, hot springs did sound pretty nice...

"Fine, all for Hakone!"

Akira smiled sweetly at her and carefully folded the pamphlet away. "I'm glad we all came to this decision without being any form of undeserved peer pressure."

"What - ugh. Never mind."

"Alright. We'll head out in an hour. Ryuji, help me get our stuff from the rooms."

"M'kay."

An hour and a half later saw the former Thieves pile into the car, with Akira returning last with two thermoses in hand. On witnessing Makoto's questioning look, he explained. "Coffee for the road. We are going back the way we came, after all."

Makoto chanced a look at Akira, smiling as he passed her a thermos top filled with the fresh coffee. She gave it a small taste and smiled in satisfaction. "Mm. Now, how did you manage this miracle?"

"I may have gotten up before you, snuck into the kitchen...it's was a lot easier than I thought 'cause you were sleeping so soundly."

He smirked at her then, evidently pleased with his handiwork regarding the van bedroom. Makoto fumbled with the coffee as she tried to retort, eventually settling for another hasty sip and asking, "What exactly do you mean 'snuck into the kitchen'?"

Morgana pawed at Akira's arm from the backseat. "I kinda want to hear this, too. Did you use your Phantom abilities or something?"

Makoto quickly shot Morgana a thankful glance and set the coffee down in the cupholder. Akira turned and smiled bashfully as he realized that his prospective exploits had drawn the attention of almost every resident in the vehicle. Futaba, however, was on her phone; given the sounds coming from both her and the device, she was probably playing a rhythm game. "It's not what you're expecting, I'm sure. I just walked in with some of the beans Sojiro gave me and asked if I could use their kitchen."

"...So you charmed them with your Phantom Thief charms?"

"Uh…"

"Sounds like it to me."

"Uh-huh."

"Just like when he robbed shadows in the Metaverse! I see…"

"No, no, I just made enough for the kitchen staff and two thermoses."

Makoto hummed softly and took her time exiting the hotel parking lot, keeping an eye on the road as she headed back in the direction of Yongen. A quick glance to her side showed her that, while the ribbing was over with and the rest had started to focus on their own distractions, Akira was still looking out the window and looking distinctly guilty. Changing the subject would be the best course, she decided. "I didn't know you liked hot springs that much."

Akira managed to take the bite, picking up the Hakone leaflet and gazing fondly at the detailed photos on the front. "There's an old bathhouse near the cafe. They have special herbal baths on Mondays and Thursdays."

Morgana chimed in, hopping onto Akira's armrest and digging his claws in slightly to steel himself. "Akira was always rushing to the place those days, even when it was raining. Haha, I remember a few times he stayed in too long and came out like some kind of roasted fish."

Akira himself chuckled at the memory, throwing in a mock shudder as if he had been burned. "Ooh. At least I smelled great - you said so yourself."

"This is true."

Akira smelling like anything other than coffee was a concept almost foreign to Makoto. "I read about herbal baths in a magazine a while ago. I always assumed the smell would be too strong to enjoy the bath itself."

"Mm, I'd say it's pretty delicate. I think you, maybe Futaba, would enjoy going to one. Fingers crossed for Hakone."

"Are you trying to get me into a swimsuit again?"

"Yes. But for a legitimate reason this time."

Morgana ducked slightly, allowing Akira to reach over and rub her shoulder. "Trust me, it'll be great. Let me know if you need a break. Or coffee, 'cause I got that for days."

Makoto simply laughed and shook her head.

[- Ryuji: Ever thought about getting married, Akira?

Ann: What.

Akira: To you? Sorry, no.

Ryuji: Hey! That's not what I meant!

Morgana: What did you mean?

Ryuji: I dunno! To anyone! A-anyone but me!

Akira: That hurts, man.

Ryuji: What?!

Futaba: Wow, Ryuji. Way to throw Akira under the bus.

Ryuji: What? I don't - ugh. You all suck.

Yusuke: ...Makoto, I see that you're stifling your laughter. Why? -]

"...This doesn't taste like what I was expecting."

"Mm. It's very mild."

Akira looked down at his cup and twirled the spoon gently into the oddly colored ice cream. Makoto took another bite from her own and kept the spoon in her mouth briefly, savoring the taste. When she removed it, she nodded judiciously and smiled. "I think I'm a bigger fan of the eggs."

"Shh. Yusuke might hear you."

"We're at the opposite end of the hall."

Akira picked up another one of aforementioned eggs and carefully cracked the shell. "You're right, though, these are pretty darn good."

"It's rumored that having two, and no more, is good luck."

"But it came in a pack of five…"

"A bargain, no?"

The two simultaneously bit into the egg they were holding and stared at the last one sitting cheerily in its spot. Makoto narrowed her eyes and gestured at the innocent snack. "They conspire to divide us."

"Truly. We can't fall for this temptation."

The mock conspiracy was enough to tease a laugh out of Akira, leading Makoto to follow suit soon after. They finished the snack and went back to the ice cream. "Hard to believe it's the spring water that does the job though."

"Mm."

"You're a quiet snacker, huh?"

Makoto grinned and drew a circle in the air with her spoon. "I don't think my snacking habits have ever been described as such."

"I don't think anyone's ever described your snacking habits at all."

"Mm...hmhm-hahaha! I'm just messing with you!"

Makoto giggled happily around the bite of ice cream she had taken, amused immensely by Akira's stunned expression. He smiled to himself and took another bite. "Let's talk about you. How were the fabled Hakone hot springs?"

"I feel rejuvenated, but ready to crash at the same time."

"Did you see the futons? Or were you too busy languishing in your herbal baths and snacking away at the local delicacies?"

"I can say you were also doing at least one of those things."

"Well, I can say I did both of those things. I liked the hot springs, too."

Makoto handed Akira the towel she had been using to dry her hair at his urging. He tossed them both in the room's hamper and opened the sliding door to their adjacent room. "...Oh."

A double futon, clearly arranged as if to be shared by two people. Inwardly, Akira reeled in shock. His outward poise prevented that from showing. "Well, that's not what I was expecting."

"Right? I guess we just looked that lovey-dovey when we checked in."

"You're being remarkably blasé about this."

"We slept in a van together. Akira-kun, this is a luxury!"

"Hmhm. Point taken. Well, I'm not complaining."

"Good. Finish your ice cream."

Akira sat down again, but next to Makoto instead of anywhere near his ice cream cup and the eggshells surrounding it. Makoto didn't complain, shooting him a sly look as she let her spoon linger in her mouth. "Yes?"

He plucked the cup out of her hand and set it down on the table. "You're lucky I finished that, buster - mm…"

Akira silenced her jab with his mouth, leaning gently into her before she did the same in turn, refusing to give any ground he tried to gain. The playful, aggressive kiss lasted as long as they could savor each other before running out of breath. Akira took off his glasses and set them down, a lazy smile on his face. "Tastes mild."

Makoto smirked and flicked her spoon clean into the cup. "As if you have any room to talk."

A strong arm around his shoulders pulled him down to the floor and denied any further argument at the same time. The futon wouldn't see any use for a while.

* * *

 **I might have gone a little heavy on the fluff. Is that such a bad thing, though?**

 **Hope you enjoyed. The next chapter, whenever it comes out, will probably be something singular rather than part 4 of the road trip chronicles.**


	26. Small Concessions

**Well, I did say in the last chapter that I'd shelve the True substory for a bit.**

 ** _Extremely_ short chapter today, but I think this one just felt nice enough to publish as is. It hearkens back to the first chapters of this collection when I knew next to nothing about these two. **

**Ah, how time flies.**

* * *

"Want me to get you a snack or something? Drink, maybe?"

"I'm okay. Thank you."

Akira bobbed his head in response and put his headphones back on, the light sound of jazz buzzing from the device. He rested his head on the kotatsu table and closed his eyes. Makoto finished what she was writing and snuck a look at him, shaking her head and smiling at how comfortable he looked.

...Contrary to no one's belief, Makoto was not dumb. She could tell that Akira was itching for something fun to happen. With this in mind, she was happy to deliver.

Makoto smiled to herself and shut her binder with a dull 'thump', effectively startling Akira out of his daze. With that, she shoved the notes and her pen across the table to come to rest just in front of him. While he simply stared at the upside-down pad and tried to figure out her plan, she rose, circled around the table, and sat firmly in his lap. "Hold me."

"Mm."

Akira was nonplussed, but still managed to comply with her demand, wrapping his arms around her waist as she reached forward to turn her notes around. She picked up her pen and made to start writing again. Before she did, however, she set it down and peeked over her shoulder at Akira, who was humming happily with the contact. His smile widened slightly when she planted a kiss on his cheek. She was happy to make these small concessions if it meant he would smile at her like that.

* * *

 **This may be in the running for my shortest chapter ever. However, in my infinite wisdom, I couldn't comprehend how to flesh this out.**

…' **M considering if I should work on the next chapter for this, After Hours, or Into the Fray...something else...thoughts?**


	27. Life of the Party

**Hmm, it's been a while since I wrote a story for Halloween.**

 **So Labrys and Sho are gonna be DLC for Dancing in Moonlit Stardom or whatever they're called.**

 **...Hmm...**

* * *

"Hi, Boss."

Sojiro technically had Leblanc closed for the holiday, but he kept the door unlocked. Akira's friends were the only ones who knew this - otherwise, it just seemed as though the place was taking a day off. Because of this, he didn't bat an eye when the student council president strode in. "Hey."

He turned the TV volume down and turned in his seat at the bar to greet her properly. A smile appeared on his face when he saw her costume, as much as he wanted to avoid it. "Ah. So you're as dedicated to the holidays as much as your schoolwork, then."

"Aah...hahaha. I guess so. Is Akira here?"

"Upstairs. He was running all around town looking for 'the perfect materials'. For his costume! He doesn't even put as much effort in keeping his room clean. I swear, with all that junk he collects, he's gonna be a hoarder."

"I've been trying to set him straight, sir. If you'll excuse me?"

"Right. Sorry, I was rambling a bit. Go on up."

Makoto ducked her head politely and headed upstairs noiselessly, despite all the permutations on her costume. Sojiro checked the door, sat back down, turned the TV back up, and brought his coffee mug to his lips. Upon tasting it, he set it down with a grimace, grabbing the coffee recipe Futaba had given him that morning off the counter. He fixed it with a menacing glare and muttered, "Pumpkin spice. Pfft. What was that girl thinking?"

[- - -]

"Akira?"

"Upon stepping into the attic-turned-bedroom Makoto quickly found that Akira was missing in action. "Did he go out…? His shoes are still here, though."

With nothing better to do, Makoto took in the room. Whether she knew it or not, a small smile was present as she noted that he had thrown in a hundred and ten percent to decorating - there were paper cobwebs and fake little spiders scattered all about, and that was only what she gleaned from a quick glance. She grabbed the Jack Frost plush he had won from one of their dates to the arcade off his desk and clutched it to her chest, sitting on his bed and exhaling softly. "I guess I'll wait for him."

She looked up, tilting her head curiously at the little plastic bats hanging from the ceiling. How long that must have taken…

Suddenly, before her eyes, she witnessed a much larger shape dwelling up there with the fake creatures. Confident that she was seeing things, she squinted and took a closer look...until it moved. Makoto froze in shock and squeezed the Jack Frost securely to her, as it it would be taken first.

The shape seemed to be hanging upside down like the others, unfurling from the ball it had been curled in until it was at eye level with Makoto. Gleaming gray eyes opened to stare at her, but Makoto was rooted to the spot. The figure slowly inched its head closer and closer, until Makoto was able to hear it whisper, "Boo."

It was rather impressive that Makoto's scream managed to carry quite nicely throughout the cafe. Sojiro looked up from his coffee and groaned. The only reason he wasn't bounding up the stairs with something to throw at intruders was because Akira had given him fair warning that this would happen. He mentally apologized to poor Makoto, deciding to carry out his punishment with a long pull of pumpkin spice coffee.

"Are-...are you crying?"

Makoto's eyes widened upon realizing that she was hearing Akira's voice, quickly grabbing his desk lamp and switching it on. There was her boyfriend, hanging by his legs from the ceiling beam he always used to work out at home. The intense stare he was wearing gave way to a merry twinkle as he waved his hands and chirped, "Surprise! Happy - oof!"

The Jack Frost doll hit him square in the face. Of course, it being plush, there was no effect. She pointed at him, hand still shaking and all, and managed to say, "You! Youuu...you are cruel."

Makoto hopped off Akira's bed and slapped his stomach. "How long were you up there just for the sake of scaring me?"

When he didn't answer immediately, an oddity given how witty he liked to think he was, Makoto turned to look at him again. She smirked knowingly when the blush on his face gave her the answer. "Ah-ha. I see."

"I'm super sore…"

"Well, come down from there, you goof."

He complied, turning neatly during the fall so he landed on his feet. He paused mid-rise, however, to hold his gut carefully. "Hoo boy, that was... _so_ worth it."

Knowing he would stick to his guns was simply part of his charm at that point. "I'm sure it was."

Makoto sighed and looked him over again. "I know you're going to ask me so I'm taking the initiative. What are you dressed as?"

"Phantom Thief of the Opera."

True to his word, he was dressed as exactly what he described...probably? He was wearing a remarkably faithful recreation of his genuine Phantom Thief jacket, which was enough for Makoto to ponder just who he knew that could work such magic. Upon closer inspection, however, it seemed like he had deliberately tried his best to make the rest look as odd as possible. He was wearing what looked like a spy's sneaking suit under the coat, an ornate-looking toy katana on his hip, and a blank white mask was on his other, waiting to be worn. "It's certainly very striking."

"Thanks!"

Makoto crossed her arms, giving the outfit one more scan. There were a few more odds and ends he had tacked on, and that revelation only made her more sure of her conclusion. "Boss was on your case again, wasn't he?"

"I plead the Fifth."

"We're not in America."

"I...choose to remain silent?"

"Close enough. Wouldn't a vampire have been more fitting? They hang from ceiling like bats, too, don't they?"

"You'd be right. I feel like the vampire motif is kinda last year, though."

"Hmm."

"Hmm, indeed. Well! Enough about my shenanigans, who are you dressed as?"

Akira's curiosity was clear in just how he posed the question. Makoto blinked and glanced down at her costume. "Oh, nothing special. Just...Road, um...Road Raider."

Akira cocked his head to the side and nodded appreciatively. The wonder in his eye was childish, but Makoto found it weirdly adorable. "Like from the movies?"

It was quite the costume. Makoto had thought of everything, from the leather jacket to the toy shotgun at her hip - he faintly remembered the very specific order she had asked him to pass on to Iwai a week prior. Akira smiled when he noticed that she had even included the titular character's leg brace. Looking up to see her face, he was further impressed by what looked like a light layer of dust on her cheeks. She had foregone her usual braided hairband, too, so her hair looked just a bit more disheveled. He whistled lightly, saying, "Wow. You really went the extra mile."

Makoto blushed, further endearing Akira to whole ensemble. "...I'm a fan of the series."

"I can tell! I was worried you weren't a huge fan of Halloween."

Makoto huffed, looking pointedly away from Akira in an exaggerated pout. "Hmph. I might not give off the impression, but I do know how to have fun."

"Oh, I know. I still remember the look on your face when I got you that game you wanted."

She smiled at the memory, embarrassing as it was. "I don't get gifts very often. Forgive me for being excited."

Akira shook his head. "It was cute. I'm glad you liked it."

The two shared a happy little look, until Makoto stepped closer and took his hand in hers. Leaning in , she gave him a light, simple kiss and stepped back - another 'thank you' for his enduring compassion. "Oh, no. I got something on your cheek."

She licked her thumb and made to wipe it off, only for Akira to catch her hand just as she finished. She smiled wryly and turned her gaze to his. "We seem to do this a lot lately."

"Is that so bad?"

"I didn't say that."

Just as Akira had put his hand on her hip and moved to kiss her again, loud footsteps stopped them both. "Heyooo! Boss told us you were upstairs with-"

Ryuji and Ann burst into the attic, and, if the smug grins on their faces were any indication, caught Akira just as he was taking a light step back from Makoto. "The student council lovebird!"

"Please don't make that a nickname."

"Are you two ready to go? Everyone else is already downstairs…"

Ryuji trailed off just as he got a good look at Akira. Makoto bit back a laugh when he saw that Ann was similarly stunned into silence. Predictably, the former was the first to recover. "Dude, what the hell are you wearing?!"

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

 **I was originally going to go with something more similar to Fist of the North Star, but Mad Max seemed a more simple medium to go with. It helps that the two are quite closely connected. Also, saw the Halloween costumes for the dancing game - they're alright. Like the Yakuza ones more, but that's more 'cause I love Yakuza.**

 **Hope you enjoyed. Till next time!**


	28. Odds and Ends I

"Come on, come on…"

Joker reached down into the ashes of the Reaper they had just defeated picked up the sparkling object it had dropped when it disappeared. It was a small charm, not unlike a phone keychain, shaped like a Roman column. "Yes! Alright."

He watched it glow faintly before nodding firmly to himself and stowing it in his jacket pocket.

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

Queen looked over from where she was standing guard with Fox and walked over when he stood up and dusted himself off. "Yeah. Not too sure what it does yet, though."

"Shall we head back, then?"

"Yeah. Mona?"

"On it."

Within seconds, the Monamobile was ready to go, the engine audibly purring - though if that was intentional on Mona's part was anyone's guess. " _Alright. Hop in."_

"Right…"

[- Mementos -]

" _Joker?"_

"Mona?"

" _What? Oh - can you not? Anyway, mind if I ask a quick question?"_

"Sure, shoot. What's on your mind?"

" _Why is Fox driving?!"_

Joker looked up from his phone and passed the charm he had picked up over to Queen at her insistence. He smiled slightly at the look of wonder on her face as she carefully scanned the object. Oracle spoke over her shoulder, just loud enough for everyone in the van to hear. "I kinda wanna know that too. We'd be back at the entrance by now if you were driving, y'know?"

"I take offense to that. I'm simply following the rules of the road."

" _You're driving on train tracks!"_

"That's no excuse."

On the ride back, Joker and Queen had decided to sit in the backseat, while Fox was at the wheel and Oracle was riding shotgun. " _Whatever. Joker?"_

"We already took out the Reaper on this floor. Nothing to worry about, so why not enjoy the ride?"

" _Uh-huh. And the real reason?"_

Joker chuckled that it was becoming habitual for his friends to assume that he always had an ulterior motive. "You know that Metaverse app?"

Oracle turned to sit on her knees, peeking her head into the backseat with interest as to what Joker was talking about. "Yeah? What about it?"

"Turns out it can tell me a bit about all the weird little trinkets we find here. It's like scanning a QR code. Weird, right?"

Queen raised an eyebrow at that and fished out her phone, opening the Metaverse app and finding that, indeed, there was a function that opened her camera. She hovered it over the charm in her gloved hand and murmured a little 'oh' when her phone gave off a cheerful _ping_. Joker simply sat back and watched with amusement as Queen turned and angled her phone so Oracle could read it alongside her. "Divine Pillar…"

"The heck does it mean you can't dodge? Is it gonna put a ball and chain on your ankle or something?"

Joker shrugged and caught the item when Queen tossed it to him, tucking it back into his pocket with a single smooth motion. "Not sure. I was gonna make Skull try it on later, though."

That was enough to even get a laugh of Fox, his mind easily painting a picture of their comrade's face when he realized dodging was out of the question. The general consensus between the four was that he wouldn't care, by way of not being particularly good at it anyway.

Just as the conversation fell into a comfortable silence, Oracle asked for the charm again and sat back in her seat. The van quietly chugged along, at least aside from the quiet murmurs coming from the backseat. Oracle assumed the it was just Joker and Queen flirting again. At least it was less weird than when they did so while sparring...

The younger girl looked back at Queen again, who was trying to hold back a laugh at something silly Joker has said, and smiled. Before she knew it, what she was thinking had come out of her mouth. "You've been way more relaxed lately."

Joker and Queen exchanged a look and stared back at Oracle. Finally, after a long silence, Joker pointed at himself in question. Oracle gaped at him and slowly turned her gaze to Queen, who shrugged. "No! Dummy! I was talking about you!"

She pointed straight at Queen to push the point home. "You! Queen! The lady in the iron mask!"

Queen blinked at the increasingly baffled Oracle, and turned to Joker and whispered in a tone that was still just loud enough for everyone to hear. "...I think she's talking to you."

Joker reached up and felt the material of his mask to confirm whether or not it was made of iron. Oracle introduced her palm to her face - at least, as much as she could with her goggles in the way. "Ohhh, this is not happening right now."

Poor Oracle initially couldn't comprehend why Joker and Queen chose then to start laughing. Joker reached over and tousled her hair as Queen gently explained, "We're just messing with you, Oracle. I guess Joker really is rubbing off on me."

Oracle sighed loudly and flopped back into her seat. "And here I was saying the old Queen used to be _so_ bloodthirsty."

"Me?" Queen looked to Joker to confirm. "Really?"

To her dismay, Joker hesitated, then nodded slowly. "Lot of pent-up aggression. You're definitely better now, though."

"...Fox?"

There was a palpable silence from the front of the car, aside from Oracle's snickering when she looked at Fox. Finally, he said, "...I was very impressed by your efforts to turn violence into an art form."

He took a hand off the wheel, only for a moment - for safety, to give her a thumbs-up. Try as she might, Oracle couldn't suppress another giggle from escaping. Queen looked thoughtful as she put her hand to her chin and pondered. "Hmm. I guess I did have some issues to work out…"

Joker smiled, glad that she wasn't upset about the news, and reached over to rub her shoulder. "I think you've found a good balance."

She returned the expression in thanks and reached up to touch his hand with hers briefly. Oracle scoffed and poorly hid a grin, clearly happy that her friends were happy. She sat back in her seat not long afterward, satisfied with the conversation and enraptured by the sparkling trinket in her hand.

Joker checked his phone again to see the route and guessed how long it would take - just long enough for him to rest a bit. He drew his jacket tighter around himself and exhaled slowly, his mask disappearing as he relaxed. Moments later, he felt Queen do the same, leaning comfortably against him but taking care to leave him room to move. She looked up at him in concern, the red in her eyes showing more than usual. Rather than say anything, he smiled lovingly, moved his arm around her shoulder, and pressed a light kiss to her hair.

[- Mementos_Entrance -]

"Aah, good nap. Great driving, Fox."

Joker shook out his legs and rolled his neck, lazily checking on his team before Mona reverted to cat form. Fox was glowing with happiness over the praise of his driving ability, hiding whatever smile he might've been wearing behind his mask. Queen was still half-asleep, stretching her arms above her head and stifling a yawn. That only left..."Oracle?"

"Jokerrr…"

Joker looked to the passenger seat, alarmed at how strained Oracle's voice was...only to raise an eyebrow at what sight greeted him. Oracle was struggling to get out of her seat in the van, and that was something, but what caught his eye was the sparkle coming from her goggles. "Did you try on that Divine Pillar thing?"

"I think I figured out the whole 'no dodging' part. Help, please."

Joker wasted no time in unlatching the accessory from Oracle's goggles. There was a noticeable difference as she hopped out and straightened her back with a groan. "Uggh, that was heavy. Don't let me near that thing again."

Joker didn't miss the way Queen looked at the charm, chuckling softly to himself as he pocketed it again. He could feel this wasn't the last he would be hearing of the whole ordeal. In any case, they could talk about it later.

* * *

 **I'll add a Part I to the title in case I decide to pursue the idea of Queen testing out the Divine Pillar for herself. That's a rare sentence, isn't it?**


	29. A Matter of Taste

**It might not be very apparent because ITF chapters have been releasing at a blistering pace, but I have a slight problem with really settling into a groove. I've reached a point where the new chapter is all but done, but there's just one tiny piece that I don't want to do. Also, I keep getting ideas for** _ **other**_ **things and I want to entertain them before I forget. I have an awful memory and I hate when it happens.**

 **So, behold!**

* * *

"You look strangely down today. And to think you call yourself a morning person."

Makoto leaned casually on the Leblanc counter top and stared intently at Akira, a small smile on her face as he stared dully into the steam of his cup. Sojiro had taken the day off to spend time with Futaba, so he left the cafe in Akira and, by extension, Makoto's care when she showed up. Anyway. He snorted at the mirth she was taking in his mood, knowing by experience that she was still concerned; the only matter was whether she would double back on her snarking or wait for him to elaborate.

He had just put his coffee down when he had a lapful of his girlfriend, gracefully straddling his leg and cupping his face in her hands. It would seem option A won out.

"Akira?"

He smiled softly and adjusted how he was sitting to make her more comfortable, pushing his coffee cup further into the kitchen counter to avoid spills before bracing one of his hands on her lower back to keep her from falling. "I'm fine. I was just thinking about coffee."

"I was under the impression that was one of your greatest joys in life."

"Yeah, but don't worry. You still top the list."

Akira grinned and brushed the back of his hand against her cheek, absentmindedly brushing his thumb along her skin and drawing a gentle blush out of her. "Are you going to tell me what's actually wrong now?"

He sighed softly, his eyes flicking down to his coffee as he quietly admitted, "I think I'm getting bored of coffee."

A more juvenile part of Makoto's mind suggested a dramatic gasp and a proclamation of 'no', but she quickly quashed the thought in lieu of her overpowering worry. "How so?"

"You know that feeling you get when you know how food you made is going to taste? Gets kinda boring?"

Makoto frowned slightly as memories of stifling nights at the dinner table flitted through her mind. "...All too well."

"I guess you could say that's the problem."

Makoto, rather than speak, simply planted a light kiss on his forehead, lazily draping her arms around his shoulders as he pulled her closer for a hug. After a moment of deliberation, she piped up again. "Let me try."

"Huh?"

"Let me make you some coffee...?"

What seemed to be a statement came out as more of a question, and Akira could immediately see why; she had taken his confusion as revulsion to her offer. He quickly remedied the situation by standing from his seat and gently pulling her into the kitchen. With a smile, he wiped imaginary tears from his eye, muttering, "It's like a dream come true."

Makoto laughed softly at his theatrics, playfully pushing his shoulder to urge him to get whatever utensils she needed. Akira composed himself quickly, switching to the middle ground between himself and Joker; she affectionately thought of the state as Barista Mode - although she would never tell anyone that. He was just putting on an apron in a very business-like manner when she asked, "How should I measure the water?"

"Ounces. Put this on."

Makoto took the spare apron from him without batting an eye, throwing it on and willfully trying to ignore the scent of coffee beans. "And the coffee?"

"I use tablespoons. We have to grind the beans first, though."

"Okay. I recall you giving me a lecture about that."

"Mhm. You fell asleep though."

Makoto blushed and looked away, fumbling for words until Akira brushed his knuckles against hers. He offered a small, yet subtly teasing smile and motioned to the coffee beans he's selected. "Boss insisted on using the medium-fine grind when I started out. That's as good a starting point as any. Now, I can show you how to use the grinder, but..."

Akira trailed off, blinking at Makoto and not holding back a grin at the look in her eye. "...but you look like you'd rather try it yourself."

He stepped back from the grinder after supplying the beans, plucking a kettle out of a cabinet and glancing over his shoulder. "I'll start the water. Let me know if you're having trouble."

Makoto set to work grinding the beans, zoning out as she settled into a comfortable rhythm and the kettle began to heat up. "Careful not to overdo it there, Niijima-senpai."

"I understand-...what?"

She looked at Akira, bemused. "Just checking if you were paying attention."

He chuckled softly to himself and shook his head. "Now, Boss is _very_ specific about the ratio of coffee to water. You'll want to use about six ounces of water per tablespoon or two of coffee."

"The Golden Ratio, hm. I remember reading about that online once or twice."

She stared at the happy look on Akira's face and quickly added, "For my own reasons, of course."

"Uh-huh. Anyway, yes, that's exactly what it is."

"I think I've got it from here."

"Oh?"

True to her word, Makoto took what she needed to the coffee drip Akira has set up, a mug sitting under it and ready to go. She readied the filter, carefully rinsing it to lose any residue, poured the freshly ground coffee into it. "Okay…"

Akira smiled and took off his apron; Makoto knew exactly what she was doing now. He went around to the customer's side and took a seat in front of her. She had taken the kettle from the stove and was steadily pouring water into the drip, the smell of coffee gently wafting into the air. "You're doing great."

Makoto only met his eyes for a second - she needed to focus on the water, after all - but the look she gave him made it clear that she appreciated his words. "And that...should do it."

She removed the drip and started cleaning up, another thing that made him smile with admiration, before remembering herself and pushing the mug towards him. "Here, um...here you go."

Makoto knotted her hands in the apron, something she was sure was going to get her lectured later. That was the furthest thing in her mind; what mattered now was Akira. He gently blew on the steaming coffee and brought the mug to his lips. He didn't waste any time keeping her in suspense, contrary to what she was expecting. Instead, he set down the mug and grinned happily, eyes twinkling as he spoke. "Top marks. Flavor profile's leagues above when I first made Leblanc coffee."

Makoto looked down with her eyes closed and a relieved smile on her face - victory. She enjoyed the moment and opened her eyes again, looking up to see Akira, leaning on the counter with a elbow. Judging by the look on his face, he wasn't going to tease her; rather, he simply looked happy that she was happy. "That's good to hear."

Akira took another sip and set the cup down, raising his hand to beckon her as if whatever he had to say needed to stay a secret. She leaned across the counter, having some inkling of what he was going to do. He stood up and leaned in too, pressing a kiss to her cheek. When he noticed she looked surprised, he grinned and tousled her hair gently. Before she could open her mouth again, he stole another kiss, a real one this time - what she was waiting for. The taste of coffee on his tongue was even stronger than usual, throwing her thoughts into a jumble as a pleasant warmth rose in her chest. Akira seemed to catch himself before he went any further, pulling away with a low chuckle and murmuring, "Definitely tastes better than usual."

"I-I see."

They shared a light, bashful laugh as he sat back down, inviting Makoto to sit next to him as she helped herself to some of the brew. And so passed another comfortable morning.

* * *

 **Do you know that feeling when you start to get tired of your own cooking? I do. Maybe I just suck at it.**

 **I am not ashamed to admit I hastily looked up the details of brewing coffee. Despite being actually quite fascinating, it's easy enough to see that I don't know a lot about it.**

 **Still hope you enjoyed. What do you think of the new title? I like it a lot better than some rehash of After Hours' title.**

 **EDIT: So, lots of announcements, many of them related to dancing. And Etrian Odyssey. Still no Arena, though, hm…**

 **EDIT#2: This was in the vault for a while, so...still no Arena announcement, though.**

 **Hmm…**

 **Thanks for reading. Stay safe out there.**


	30. Territorial

**I was playing around with the idea that Makoto's Metaverse...aggressiveness could slip out here and there in daily life. I think this chapter is a little more risque than usual. But, hey...what better way to show Makoto laying down the law? I mean, I can think of a few otherwise, but...never mind. Whatever. I really liked writing this chapter.**

* * *

"Makoto, come on."

"...Hm."

The clipped answer he received made Akira marvel once again at how he had managed to get Makoto to even sit in his lap. Then again, even that took quite a while...He pawed at her shoulder again, but Makoto didn't budge, instead keeping her gaze resolutely on the veritable pages of _Buchimaru: The Making Of_. The younger teen took off his glasses and tossed them on the coffee table, resting his chin on her shoulder glumly when she didn't even look at the impact. "I said I was sorry."

"That you did."

He groaned and tightened the grip his arms had around her waist. A victory cry rang in his one part of his mind when he felt her relax just a bit into the embrace. A more desperate part was scrabbling for something to dig himself out of the hole he had admittedly dug himself into. "Want me to make you some coffee?"

"I would appreciate something else."

Akira lit up, only too happy to get back into Makoto's good graces. "Yeah! Yeah, of course, what do you want?"

Makoto flipped another page, and Akira was almost sure that she was going back to ignoring him until he heard a soft, "...go."

"Hm?"

"Let go. Er, please."

Much as he was reluctant to give up a half hour of progress, Akira complied, letting go of her waist, scooting back, and keeping his hands raised for good measure. With a dull _thump_ , her book slammed shut, though Akira wasn't sure if that was because of her own strength or from just how many pages were in it. "...Do you remember telling me those drunk ladies were flirting with you?"

"Y-yeah…?"

"And you had 'no choice' but to flirt back?"

"Lala-chan told me it would - oh...Oh."

Makoto set the tome down next to his glasses and plucked them up to set them down properly upright. The dichotomy between her behavior and how she treated the glasses was utterly baffling. The uncertainty was only amplified when she turned in her seat and crawled towards him. Akira's mind stalled, unsure of what to do when she climbed onto his lap and pushed him against the backrest, hands planted firmly on his shoulders. The lionhearted guts he had developed the year they met did nothing to diminish how scary she looked at that moment, eyes glimmering red as she murmured, "...I can't say that I like hearing about that."

It was then that Akira realized the critical mistake he had made when he had recounted his shift at the Crossroads bar. "Makoto-"

"Quiet."

She leaned down and met his eyes, feeling a surge of pride when he fidgeted guiltily. After five heavy seconds, she smiled mischievously. As refreshing as the change in expression was from cold stares, Akira still felt a chill go down his spine. "...I have an idea of how to discourage them."

"Would you mind if discuss we discuss it first or-"

"Stay still."

"Okay, good talk…"

Makoto smirked at his quick surrender and rubbed his shoulder soothingly. It was hard to actually garner any comfort from the gesture, mostly because of the predatory look in her eyes. Still...some part of Akira, perhaps the daring Joker part, was excited to see what she had in store for him.

She leaned in close, playfully grinding her head against his and inching towards his neck; Akira winced when he felt a light pinch there. "Makoto-"

Her breath was hot as she raised her mouth from his skin and hissed, "I said, quiet."

Akira felt the best course of action was to, per her demand, shut up and let her do whatever she was doing, so he obeyed. He could feel her sucking on the spot she had previously bit, putting two and two together as to Makoto's intention. "Y-you can't be serious..."

Rather than answer him with words, she playfully bit his neck again, forcing a surprised yelp out of him. That was interesting…

She mercifully pulled back a few seconds later, panting softly as she met his gaze again, eyes noticeably darker with poorly veiled passion. "...Now, they'll think twice about flirting with you."

Makoto's tone was even, but it was plain to see that she was blushing just as deeply as he was.

She punched him lightly in the stomach, maybe to hide her own embarrassment, and settled into his lap. Akira managed a laugh despite being winded, putting his hands on her hips to keep her steady. "I'm sure they'll get the message."

Makoto took a deep breath and chose her next words carefully. "I hope you understand now why you shouldn't tell me these things on date night."

Having what upset her spelled out so plainly was the last piece of the puzzle. Akira raised his hands in acknowledgment but quickly brought them back to her sides to keep her steady. "I get it. I'm sorry. Sometimes I talk before I think."

"I've seen you botch enough hold-ups in the Metaverse to believe that wholeheartedly."

"Right. Now, let me add on that we agreed we both have a lot to learn about this whole romance thing."

That was fair. Makoto accepted this with a giggle. "That we did."

Akira smiled in relief and planted a light kiss on her lips. "So…"

Makoto smirked and gently brushed her thumb against the blemish on his neck. "Water under the bridge."

"Good. I guess that means it's time for a counterattack."

"What - hey!"

Akira moved quickly, the scoundrel! The hands that had been so carefully holding her sides tightened their grip as he swiftly reversed their positions and pushed her down into the couch cushions. They both knew the former council president was strong enough to throw him off, but Makoto went along with the game willingly, content with his boldness and curious as to what this 'counterattack' was. A laugh was audible in her voice as she lay under him, cheeks red and a smile on her face. Her tone was playful as she purred, "How the tables have turned…"

Akira flashed a cocky grin, one that would normally be reserved when he was operating as Joker. "Well, if you're gonna leave a mark on me, it's only fair that I get to do the same."

Her eyes flashed red with an unspoken challenge as she linked her hands behind his neck, only too willing to see where this went. He smiled back and dipped down to kiss her, feeling her fingers thread into his messy hair as they sank into the couch ever so slightly.

[- The Following Afternoon -]

"What's with the scarfs?"

Ryuji sipped his soda noisily as he stared at the couple he was addressing. The expectant look on Yusuke's face as he jotted down the details of how they were behaving didn't do them any favors. Akira and Makoto shared a look, hiding their ensuing blushes behind their red and black scarves, respectively. "...No reason."

* * *

 **Hoo boy, this has been a productive day. It's weird, I'm usually used to massive levels of incompetence coupled with oodles of writer's block. I gotta keep this up!**


	31. The Rainy Day Special

"Niijima-senpai."

Akira opened to door to the student council room a crack, peeking in briefly before silently letting himself in. He pushed the door shut with a dull click and quickly scanned the room, allowing himself a small smile when he found who he was looking for. Makoto was curled up on the couch sitting in the corner of the room, a thin blanket draped loosely over her legs while her head rested in the crook of her arm. He turned his gaze to the table he sat at twice before, once under the president's scrutiny and another time as her unlikely partner.

There was a smattering of papers pertaining to everything from student requests to half-completed forms for various school necessities. His fingers drifted lazily over the mess, smiling to himself as he muttered, "You're doing more work than some of the faculty at this point..."

Akira spied a laptop sitting on one of the chairs alongside a discarded pen, scooping both up and putting them down as quietly as he could manage. The rain pouring outside seemed to help with his lazy espionage. He took off his glasses and laid them down, pivoting towards Makoto to pull the blanket up higher. Satisfied, he sat down and set to work.

Akira heard the sound of shifting cloth just an hour later, followed by a low groan. "How long was I asleep…?"

"I wouldn't know. Hey, Niijima-senpai."

He heard her breath catch, ever so slightly, her next words coming out in a warmer tone. "Hi, Akira. How long have you been here?"

"An hour, give or take. Made myself useful in the meantime."

Makoto slowly got up from her makeshift bed, rolling her neck and wincing at the slight tinge of pain she felt. "Ow...care to tell me what you mean?"

"Everything that doesn't require permission and signatures, didn't want to use your stamp. Take a look later."

Makoto walked around to his back to drape her arms around his shoulders and leaned down in a sleepy hug. Akira reached up and held one of her hands in his, chuckling softly as she snuggled closer. "So why 'Niijima-senpai'?"

Akira's smile curled into a smirk, offering as best a shrug as he could manage and an answer along the lines of, "Well, I'd like to keep up appearances as the docile transfer student. Although my stunt at the festival might not have helped matters."

"You realize most students have gone home already, right?"

Akira made a show of looking up at the room clock, then out the window - rain was pouring liberally as a few Shujin stragglers rushed out of the area with umbrella in hand. "Hmm. Well, we do have a window here. My dulcet tones can probably reach pretty far."

Makoto grinned unwittingly at the notion of Akira trying to stake his claim. "Where's Morgana?"

"He stayed at home today. Tempted him with the forbidden fruit."

"Fatty tuna?"

"Fatty tuna."

"And you didn't go home because…?"

"I was lonely and I wanted to see you."

"Mm. And the real reason?"

"I forgot my umbrella. But I really did want to see you."

Normally she would take that kind of remark with a grain of salt, but Makoto knew from experience that Akira was being completely sincere. Once again, a cat came to mind. "You didn't have to do my work for me. I would've gotten around to it after I woke up."

"I admit I have an ulterior motive or two."

"I assumed as much."

Akira chuckled and shrugged as if it couldn't be helped. "I was gonna ask if you wanted to come to Leblanc with me. I can offer you the rainy day special?"

"You have a rainy day special?"

"We...do now?"

Makoto patted his head to commend his effort and stepped out of the way when he got up to let her sit as well as grab his school bag off the floor. She looked over the now neat pile of paperwork and the multitude of notes Akira had left typed up for her to review. "I'll figure it out. Anyway, now that you're all done with your work…wanna do something fun?"

"Oh?" Makoto smirked at the way his voice dipped, closing the device and leaning back in her chair. "And what do you propose we do now?"

"I can think of a few things."

Akira sat on the edge of the desk, planting a hand on the surface for balance and leaning down ever so slightly. Makoto felt her face warm, a little tingle of excitement jolted through her as she smiled flirtatiously. "I'm all ears…"

Akira took off his glasses and lowered his head to lightly bump his forehead against hers, not even trying to hide the spark in his eyes as he whispered, "Close your eyes."

She complied, eager to have a tete-a-tete with her boyfriend. Being at school, in the student council room of all places, made the whole thing feel a little scandalous, which both mortified and exhilarated her.

 _Zip._

 _What?!_

Makoto's eyes flew open as a magnificent blush spread across her cheeks at the sound that could only have been a zipper being undone. This allowed her to bear witness to Akira sitting in the same position - the difference was that he was holding a small bag in one hand, a bundle of string in the other, and topping it all off with a dopey smile that was almost too cute for him. "Wanna play jacks or cat's cradle?"

... _What?_

The sheer absurdity of the notion that Akira even carried these sort of kids' games with him stunned Makoto into momentary silence. After a moment, she giggled. The next, she was trying to hold something back by covering her mouth with a hand. Finally, she was laughing away without a care in the world, playfully pushing Akira's shoulder as he sat there with that teasing smirk of his - the way his mouth was twitching, however, seemed to indicate he was on the verge of cracking up, too. "You are the _worst_!"

"Maybe."

Makoto tried to catch her breath as Akira tossed the bag of jacks back into his school bag, then tossed the whole thing onto the couch she had been napping on. "Sorry. Couldn't resist."

"I'm sure. You know, I'm starting to figure out how you work."

"Oh?"

"Mhm."

Makoto stood from her seat and took Akira's hands, lacing their right hands together with the string slightly. Akira chuckled a little and smiled at the ease at which she did it as she leaned closer. "You wind me up, raise my hopes, and then you subvert my expectations in the silliest way imaginable."

"I cannot confirm nor deny the raising of the hopes."

Makoto smiled and grabbed the string, forcing their hands together as her eyes flashed dangerously. "I'm sure you're well-versed in the part that comes after that."

"I will admit that I've had a lot of practice - mm."

The student council president had rolled her eyes and pulled their still joined hands, taking advantage of his vulnerability to shut him up with a kiss. The sound of the pouring rain outside slowly drifted away as the two became invested in their own little world.

[- Later -]

Akira and Makoto stood under the awning of the school's entrance, gazing out onto the street as the rain cheerily carried on in painting the ground. The former sighed, reaching into his bag and muttering, "...Guess it can't be helped."

He produced a small, rectangular object and hefted it in his palm as if testing the weight. It was an umbrella. Makoto, of course, was nonplussed by this. "...I thought you forgot your umbrella?"

"I forgot my favorite one."

She couldn't muster the energy to respond to such an answer, simply settling for a soft, "Oh."

"Yeah. Not much room on account of its size, but...it'll do. You'll just have to scoot real close to me."

The smirk on his face as he issued his warning told Makoto more than he probably intended, though she took the half-serious challenge in stride and pressed herself to his side. She seized his arm with her own and smiled up at him, playfully cocking her head and asking, "Is this okay?"

If he was surprised, he recovered quickly, but Makoto knew that the expression in his eyes was much harder to mask. As such, she easily spied the twinkle of happiness as he smiled and opened the umbrella. "You're good. Let's go get you some coffee."

* * *

 **I wanted to get out another addition to this before the next chapter of Notice Me or The Fall, but I sort of stalled on inspiration. Luckily, I had this old draft sitting in my Docs, and it looked pretty solid! Touched it up, finished the rest, and here you are!**


	32. Surprise Me

**I have a Valentines' story earlier in this collection, but that was before I really got a feel for these two. I felt like giving it a second try was only a matter of time. I know Valentines' Day is covered in-game, but I wanted to toss out my own version.**

* * *

[- February 7_Evening -]

 _What kind of chocolate do you like?_

Akira found himself staring at Makoto's late night text for longer than he would have willingly admitted, reaching for his glasses despite not really needing them to see. Rather than dwell on it, he answered. _Is this about Valentines' Day?_

He rolled onto his back and turned his phone horizontally, prepared to answer as soon as Makoto needed him to. Morgana shifted between his legs but otherwise stayed asleep - a relief, given his temper when prematurely awakened.

 **Makoto:** You are so blunt sometimes…

 **Akira:** Sorry.

 **Makoto:** Never mind. Anyway, yes, this is about Valentines' Day.

 **Akira:**...I'm no expert, but I don't think you're supposed to ask.

 **Makoto:** I prefer to be thorough. Besides, since when did we start adhering to the norm?

Akira couldn't help but smile at that. He made it known with an appropriate smiley face. The expression grew into a full-on grin when he saw her send back a thumbs-up.

 **Akira:** You got me there.

I should feel bad for making you a rebel, but I don't.

Anyway, I don't have a preference. Surprise me?

Not very helpful, I know, but hey! Freedom!

 **Makoto:**...I agree that it's not very helpful.

 **Akira:** Sorry.

 **Makoto:** I'm kidding. I think this "freedom" does make at least one part of this easier.

 **Akira:** You know you don't have to, right?

 **Makoto:** I want to.

Akira frowned slightly, conflicted. He didn't want to push Makoto, but, at the same time, there was no stopping her when she set her mind on something. That, and a part of him _really_ wanted to be able to spend his first real Valentines' Day with her. Realizing she may have been waiting on him, he finally typed something, hands trembling with excitement.

 **Akira:** Okay.

[- February 14_After School -]

Akira checked his phone for the time to confirm that, yes, he had indeed managed to survive one minute since the last time he checked how much time had passed. Makoto had texted him earlier in the day to meet on the school roof, something that was both ironic and terrifying. He tried not to think about the looks he got and the rumors that would most certainly accompany it when he burst out of class and rushed up the stairs before anyone could get a good read he was going. Really, thinking about anything seemed to just make him more nervous at this point. He already felt awkward from when Morgana had ditched him on the grounds that he didn't want to interrupt his 'fun time' with Makoto. Now he was stuck with his thoughts and the rather welcoming fresh air. Before he could lift up his phone again, the door to the roof burst open, causing Akira to jump in surprise. He was ready to put on a fake smile and explain away just what a delinquent like he was doing loitering on the rooftop, but he was instead able to grin happily and relax - Makoto had arrived. "You're already here. Sorry, did you have to wait long?"

"I'll admit I rushed up here...thought you'd be here first."

He gestured for her to sit in one of the folding chairs he had fished out of the corners before anything else. "I had to get something from my locker. I didn't want to jostle this too much in my bag, so...well, here, first and foremost."

Makoto reached into her bag and pulled out a small, rectangular black box and offered it to Akira was no other fanfare. With a grateful smile, he took it, thinking he would have it no other way. He opened it at her insistence, only to find a neat divide, separating two evenly measured portions of both white and dark chocolate. "Two kinds?"

"Right! Let me explain."

She tried not to stutter as she watched him break one of the white pieces in half, passing her some to calm her nerves. "I figured you would like this combined with a cup of coffee. White chocolate is sweet as opposed to bitter, and the color is, um...o-obviously the opposite of what you're usually drinking. Yin and yang, you know?"

Makoto's throat felt dry, but she was determined to make sure she didn't choke on her words. This was important! With that, she gestured to the other half of the box. Akira followed her cue and carefully picked up one of the pieces; These chocolates was dark, almost black. "On the other hand, I was worried you might prefer harmony rather than a...a juxtaposition."

Throwing more weight into her words, Makoto figured, would make her sound more confident that she really felt. "Those chocolates are seventy-percent cocoa. I could have gone for a higher concentration, but I didn't want the bitterness to be overpowering."

Akira nodded slowly and put the piece he was holding down before it melted in his fingers. What she said made sense - coffee, at least how he liked it, was bitter. Overdoing it on that particular sensation would just make the whole experience unpleasant. He could feel his heart singing with joy that she had managed to put so much thought into both the appeal and the synergy of the chocolate; both types would likely taste wonderful with coffee. "I'm sorry."

"What?"

Akira shut the box so he could focus completely on Makoto, who looked like she was trying her best not to get up and start pacing. He reached for her shoulder at first, choosing instead to take her hand and lace their fingers together. The move had the added benefit of getting her to stop and take a breath. "Why apologize?"

"The presentation bothers me. It's too simple.

"The presenta-" Akira was genuinely surprised by what she was on about, quickly shaking his head after he came to terms with it. "Makoto…"

"I didn't put it in a fancy box, didn't put any thought into the look...I didn't even get a bow!"

"Makoto."

"And I could have got some molds or something so the chocolates don't just look like blocks, or-"

"Makoto."

"What?"

By now, the poor council president was a bundle of frazzled nerves. Akira tugged their joined hands towards him and threw his other arm around her shoulder in a hasty embrace. Makoto was surprised for the briefest moment, but soon enough to relaxed ever so slightly, the hand she now had on his back taking a tight grip of his Shujin jacket. "It doesn't bother me."

"...It doesn't?"

"Of course not! I'm...I-I don't know what to say."

That seemed to be something they could latch on to. Makoto managed a little laugh and held him just a little tighter. Akira, in turn, brought their chairs closer together and put the box safely on his lap. The proximity made it easier to hug her. "This is all very new to me."

"Yeah.."

Akira smiled and picked up the box. True, it was simple, and there was indeed no bow, but he didn't care. It was Valentine chocolate - the first he had ever received. "...Let's go to Leblanc. I'll put on some coffee, we can see which combination wins out."

Makoto knew the answer, she was sure she did, but...she still felt like pushing just a bit would be extremely gratifying. "Are you asking me out?"

"Yeah."

The brazen reply made her blush, but what was truly surprising was that even Akira seemed a little embarrassed by how quickly he had answered. "I mean, unless you're busy..."

He felt something soft brush against his cheek. He turned to Makoto in surprise, a feeling that was only furthered when she offered a small smile. "Not busy. Happy seems more appropriate, though."

Akira smiled and leaned close to give her a quick kiss. There would be a time and place where he could more properly show his appreciation for her, but it would have to do. The way her eyes twinkled as they pulled apart seemed to indicate that she understood that and was wholeheartedly looking forward to it. "Ready to go?"

* * *

 **And then they have a talk similar to the one in the game's event...or not. Maybe they just eat chocolate, have coffee, and make out for an hour.**

 **Happy Valentines' Day! Glad I was able to get this out before the clock struck twelve, so I hope you enjoy. Maybe it's not as sweet as chocolate, but I hope it's at least a little close.**

 **Thanks for reading, as always. Till next time, yeah?**


End file.
